Cold Mirror Surface
by Kristine93
Summary: HitsuMatsu:Matsumoto is entangled in a marriage with a man she both hates and feels attracted to.Hitsugaya is her loyal personal guardian who she's constantly pushing away.What happens when Toushiro is kidnapped and what secret about him will be revealed?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. **

**So... since my other story seems to have become quite boring to you, people, I've decided to start another one. Now, this one will have spoilers, you'll see. One question, will it bother you too much if the king was say Yamamoto? It's kind of weird since Matsumoto doesn't carry that name and she's supposed to be his daughter... But then again, it's fanfiction, very historically un-agreeable. More adventure in future chapters. This one is mainly fluff. Tell me whether it's good and you'd like me to continue it. But I don't appreciate flamers. It's very rude. -nod, nod- Oh, and would you like it to be T-rated or M-rated. If you know what I mean. -wink-**

**P.S. A moment of self-advertising: check out my new HitsuMatsu video in youtube with the song "Requiem For A Dream". The link to my youtube profile is... in my fanfiction profile. ^^  
**

* * *

"We are here, father," Matsumoto announced as she entered the hall, her fiancé's hand possessively on the small of her back "There was something you wanted to speak with us about?"

The king nodded with agreement, then stood up and started to make his way towards the two.

"There are just a few weeks left till the wedding, my dear betrotheds! It is only natural, that I would like to discuss a few matters with you considering that event." he placed one hand on the crook of his daughter's neck and one on his future son-in-law's arm and smiled "Let's take a walk."

Without so much as a murmur of consent, the couple let the old men lead them out of the hall and down the corridors, a small retinue of personal guards immediately joining them on a respectable distance behind them. The dialog started right away between the two men, Matsumoto's participation obviously not so necessary and since she wasn't all that eager to talk anyway, she just supported and agreed from time to time, her thoughts drifting constantly in another direction. In her mind the ridiculously bright colors of the castle's walls and the orotund decoration was nothing but intrusive and obnoxious. She imagined softer tinctures. Like white, and silver, and blue, and teal. She imagined delicacy in the trimming in ways that didn't restrict the eye, but literally provided your sight freedom and expanse. But of course no one would agree...

...At least not aloud.

"Rangiku," a voice called and her head snapped up "what's wron'?"

"It's nothing, Gin, I just got a little bit distracted." she said, wrapping her arm around his.

"Speaking of distractions... Rangiku... Where is that boy? That personal guard of yours? I can't see him." the king boomed, glancing over his shoulder. Matsumoto frowned, her lips pursing involuntarily.

"He is wounded, father, he's still recovering." she reminded, trying hard not to growl. She felt Gin's other hand rub her shoulder soothingly "Which reminds me" she continued, stopping dead on her tracks and gently releasing her arm of her fiancé's hold "I have something to do. If you'll please excuse me..."

* * *

"I thought you were never going to come." Hitsugaya murmured, sitting up in his bed as Matsumoto walked in, closing the door behind her. The thin blanket slid down his body, revealing his bandaged chest and shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't get away." she whispered, quickly making her way to his side and reaching with one hand to touch his face. He caught her wrist before her fingertips could brush against his pale skin and frowned.

"Or you didn't want to."

"Toushiro, don't..."

"Sooner or later..."

"Not now. You're hurt. Just... not today..." she gazed at his eyes intently, pleading him silently to let it go, this once. He let his pale eyelids close slowly, then sighed and nodded.

"Fine..."

Matsumoto exhaled softly with relieve and smiled.

"So how are you feeling?"

"Better. I'll be up and about in no time. I'm not letting some minor scratches get the best of me. I'm a man, and a warrior, after all." he replied, making a quite fragile attempt to smirk. Matsumoto allowed a small laugh to escape her lips.

"Oh, Toushiro... It seems like yesterday when you couldn't reach above my chest... Look at you now!" she shook her head, her smile growing wider "Somehow, for no more than a year or two you've managed to change things exactly the other way around! Sometimes I do miss my cute little midget, you know..."

"I was a man, and a warrior back than, too." Hitsugaya pointed out, but there was a grin tugging on his lips as well "Besides, I wasn't _short_, it was _you_ who were huge for your age."

Matsumoto experienced a moment of mute indignation at those words. Which Hitsugaya enjoyed very much, one might add.

"I wasn't _huge_ for my AGE!" she almost shrieked, causing Toushiro a nice laughter outburst "I was perfectly normal! And don't forget I'm older than you!"

"So is Hinamori. But does she look even near your size? I don't think so."

Matsumoto pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing in preparation for another explosion, then suddenly she seemed to slump back down, inhaling deeply before letting a big nice smirk spread across her face.

"Oh? So you actually _mind _these?" she asked, raising a brow as she rather plainly gestured towards her bosom.

Pause.

Hitsugaya's face softened and he reached with one hand to brush a lock of red hair away from her eyes.

"You're perfect. Always have been." he whispered, his fingertips resting on her cheekbone a little bit longer.

Matsumoto bit down on her lower lip for a moment, looking up at his eyes. Then she whined softly, pouting.

"When are they letting you go?" she pressured. He smirked in response.

"I don't know. But I can sneak out tonight."

* * *

Gin laughed a good, generous laugh at Kira's words, succeeding in startling the poor companion quite cruelly.

"So wha' if there's somethin' fishy goin' on with my bride and the brat?" Ichimaru asked turning around to face the puzzled blond, who was at that moment serving tea on the small table in the middle of the room "Whateva she's doin' she's doin' it ta hurt me."

"Um, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what do you mean?" Izuru blinked, frowning. Gin let a low chuckle escape his lips as he fixed his gaze at the view outside the window.

"Rangiku is in love with _me_ and me only, Izuru. She does adore the boy, 's true, but dun be fooled, her feelings towards him end there. She jus' wants to get even with me cuz she knows about the other women that spend the night with me and her pride wouldn't let her swallow it easily."

* * *

Matsumoto purred and shivered when she felt slender fingers trace her naked spine. The sensation traveled up, the same digits brushing her hair back, revealing her neck and a pair of soft lips planted a gentle kiss there. The familiar hand abandoned her shoulders, sneaking around her waist long enough to pull her back against another warm body, then rested on her hip.

"You don't have to do the after-sex cuddling, you know." Matsumoto murmured, pulling back a little to look at Hitsugaya over her shoulder with raised brows. He examined her features for a moment, then sighed and retrieved his hands, sitting up and running a hand through his tussled snowy hair.

"Sorry. Won't do it again." he said, dangling his legs over the bed's side. Rangiku blinked, surprising by the sudden hurt she sensed in his voice.

"Are you mad?" she asked, examining his white, half-bandaged back.

"No..." he replied softly. Matsumoto sighed and sat up, reaching with both hands to rub his shoulder soothingly.

"Then why are you like that?" she asked, feeling his muscles tense under her gentle touch "I thought we discussed this. It's all just sex."

"Yes, yes. Just sex. Because you want to get back on Ichimaru. I _know_." he spat, his head snapping to a side so he could look at her using his peripheral sight "I can see the logic."

Matsumoto let go of him and pulled the blanket over her chest with exasperation.

"I am always nice to you, I treat you as an equal, never as my servant... And I came to see you today, didn't I? What more do you want?" she pressured.

"You came because I asked you to! And just to ask me for another one of these encounters!" he growled back, bending down to gather his clothes from where they were discarded on the floor.

"You agreed on this! You agreed that we had some fun together, no feelings involved!" Rangiku said as she got up from the other side of the bed, her body wrapped tightly in the blanket "I told you from the very start so there wouldn't be scenes like this after that: I love Gin. I'm just... mad at him right now."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and pulled his trousers up his hips.

"I do confess I agreed on this. But, Rangiku, you've been "mad" with him for months already! I was alright with your conditions _months ago_!"

Matsumoto frowned at him from the opposite side of the bed, her eyes darkening with anger:

"What is it to you how much time has passed since we made the deal? Just stick with it!" she snapped. Hitsugaya tightened his belt and let his arms drop by his sides, lifting his eyes to gaze at her blue orbs intensely.

"Can't you see, Rangiku? Can't you see that you won't be happy with him! He will never respect you, he'll never be completely honest with you and he'll never give you the love you need!"

"You don't fucking know!" she shouted.

"It's a set up marriage!"

"So I can't love him, is that what you are saying?"

"I'm saying you two wouldn't be marrying if it weren't for the war and your father didn't need a way to enter into an alliance with one of the sides in the war. For the country's sake. You know that!" Hitsugaya waited for her to say something and when that didn't happen, he sighed and continued more softly "You asked what it was to me how much time has passed since we agreed to this nonsense. Well, for that time I came to know you better. Better than anyone else, I believe..."

"It was only physical..." she answered but he shook his head.

"No... No, it wasn't. What about all those night we spent lying naked and talking? What about all the things we shared with each other? What about all the stories we told to one another? The dangers in which, threatened by enemies we fought side by side?"

"You don't know what you are talking about..."

"Rangiku..." he whispered and made a move to round the bed and come to her, but she shook her head violently, stepping back.

"Don't do this." she pleaded, her lips pursed tightly together. Hitsugaya paused for a moment, just gazing at her, then he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Rangiku, I'm in love with you." he said softly, but firmly, making her squeeze her eyes shut and look away. Her hands tightened their hold on the blanket around her body and she bit down on her lower lip, her shoulder visibly tense. The room suddenly felt very cold and unwelcome, the walls grey, the oxygen feeling like ice in her lungs. She could feel the floor under her feet, coarse and hard, the material covering her skin too rough and unpleasant it. These words were exactly what she had been fearing of.

"And I love Gin." she announced in the end, looking up to finally meet his eyes "This will never change. So let's just pretend that you didn't just say what you said and carry on like before. Nice and casual."

Hitsugaya's jaw clenched as he began gathering the rest of his clothes hastily. Matsumoto just watched him silently, not sure what to do or what to say. It all seemed so inevitable and hopeless. Nothing she came up with was nearly enough. It was just more hurtful. More heartless. More useless.

When he finally stood up and met her eyes, a ball of garment in his hand, she couldn't help it but wince to the look of anger and hurt that tainted his teal orbs. It was both horrible and amazing... How a look could be so fearful and heartbreaking at the same time.

"If you wish to lie to yourself, that's fine." he said, his voice barely above whisper, yet somehow radiating a storm of different, battling for superiority emotions "But I have no intention of witnessing this more than I'm obliged to because of the duties I must fulfill. I can't do this anymore..."

"Toushiro..."

"Your Highness." and with that he turned around and exited the room, closing the door behind him soundlessly.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: VERY. IMPORTANT. LOOK. HERE! Okay, now, I'm going abroad for 3 weeks, so there's this big, huge chance I won't be able to write there. I'll try, of course, but I can't promise a thing. Now, I'll be able to reply to your reviews, even if with a little delay, but I will. I'll be able to gert online every once in awhile. So review this chapter, tell me what you think, etc. Personally, I like the chapter, so NO flamers. In addition, there will be much more action (as in adventure, don't get funny ideas) in the next chapter, so beware.**_

* * *

"I feel for you" Kyouraku said, clinking his bottle of alcohol against Hitsugaya's and taking a long sip.

"I feel about me, too." Hitsugaya pointed out with a sigh "Drinking on a rooftop of an abandoned house with a man in a condition exactly the same as mine..."

Kyouraku chuckled and looked up at the dark sky, exhaling the cool night air with a small sad smile still present on his lips.

"You're young and that makes your state much more... woeful." the man explained "I told you from the start it'll end up like that. But no! 'I'm not you!' he says 'I won't make the same stupid mistake!'... Oh, kiddo... You might be genius, you might be strong, you might be a prodigy, but in the end of the day... you are still a man. You're still human. And you still crave for love. To give and receive love..." Kyourkau took a long sip from the bottle and sighed deeply with content "To give and receive... love..."

Hitsugaya ran a hand through his soft white locks, letting his shoulders slump and his lids lower to half-hide the desperation in his bright teal eyes.

"I don't know whether I should be sorry for not listening or be glad, because I finally understood what they sing about in all those songs and what they speak about in all those stories..." he whispered. Kyouraku reached with one hand and patted his back soothingly.

"You'll never know. Don't hope to figure it out." the dark-haired man said and Hitsugaya laughed bitterly.

"Do you know what makes me feel even worse?" he said softly and Kyouraku shook his head "She says she treats me as even and she does, but when she looks at me I know she does it with some superiority. She thinks I'm a child. She thinks that... because I'm younger, I can't feel this way and I don't... can't... the way she feels about Gin... I..." he stopped mid-sentence, his voice cracking and squeezed his eyes shut with a sharp inhale. His friend stayed silent, watching Hitsugaya's body shudder and the fist of his free hand clench and unclench as the unbearable power of the emotions sank its teeth into his lungs and neck, hammering his breathing, his pulse, his speech and his thoughts.

"Are you alright?" Kyouraku finally asked. Hitsugaya took a deep breath, then slowly opened his eyes, and nodded, his lips tightly pursed.

"I'll be fine." Toushiro whispered. His friend shook his head.

"Yeah... some day, maybe you will...'" Kyouraku murmured, then suddenly bit his lower lip and let out a small groan " Oh, sweet Nanao-chan... why wouldn't you agree to run away with me?"

Hitsugaya took a big sip shrugging.

"She's a noble and responsible woman and loves her family..." he said casually, stretching his legs over the tiles "And her Highness loves that asshole..."

"Do you think the fact our women are best friends influences their stupid decisions?"

Hitsugaya frowned, but then shook his head slowly.

"No... Rangiku really does love him." the boy mumbled sorrowfully, lifting the bottle to his eye-level to see how much of the content was left.

"What makes you so sure?" Kyouraku asked "Where's your hope? Maybe she's just confused..."

"Well..." Hitsugaya put the bottle close to his lips, ready to take another sip of it "When someone tells you they love someone else again and again and again... You eventually start to believe that." and with those words he lifted the bottle up, drinking all the alcohol that was left and then throwing the bottle away.

* * *

"Didn' kno' ya smoked." Gin pointed out, leaning against the frame of the princess' balcony. Matsumoto, who was standing near the railing gazing somewhere beyond the horizaond, didn't even make an effort to turn around. Ichimaru examined her posture, the exhausted outlines of her body, the way her drooped shoulders remained unmoving as if frozen and his brows went up with a dulled emotion, resembling something of a wonder. He heard Rangiku's soft sigh as she let her right hand with the long, luxury cigarette drop by her side, a thin stream of smoke twisting and coiling up in the air.

"Because I usually don't." she replied softly. Gin chuckled and slowly made his way towards her, stopping just about a meter away. Matsumoto turned her head to a side, so she could look at him with her peripheral sight and waited.

"So..." she asked, when he didn't say or do anything more.

"So." he said and suddenly his hands were on her hips, spinning her around till she faced him "So what?" his arm tightened around her waist and pulled her closer, her body pressing against his. Matsumoto's eyes were on his face, on his lowered lids, shifting along his features in search for something that wasn't really there. Her heart was palpitating wildly, her blood running hot and craving in her body and as close as they were now, she was sure he could feel it.

"You tell me." she whispered, her lips barely moving. His grin grew wider and before she could ask herself why that was, his mouth was claiming hers. Her hand shook, her fingers going limp and the cigarette fell on the floor.

_Oh God..._

His kisses were nothing like Hitsugaya's. These were more demanding, more violent and more dominating. There was some kind of incontrollable fire in them, both incredibly luring, yet somehow frightening. But even though there was passion and desire in them, there was something else lacking. Something vital. Something that Toushiro's gentle and slow kisses had had.

Matsumoto ignored the thought, pushing it to the back of her mind and lifted her hands, burring them into Gin's hair, his arms responding with an embrace even tighter. His teeth nibbled on her lower lip, his breath hot and burning, mingling with her own, then his tongue was in her mouth, fighting against hers for dominance. She felt a shiver run down her spine and her body went suddenly weak, when he pulled away, leaving her dizzy and panting.

"Mm... I like it when ya taste like cigarettes..." he breathed, chuckling again. Matsumoto chose not to say anything, didn't open her eyes from the kiss, just stood there, enjoying his embrace, enjoying the feeling of him holding her.

Gin leaned forward, kissing the crook of her neck, one of his hands releasing its hold on her waist to burry into her hair. His devastating lips started making their way up, slowly but confidently.

"We should... not here..." Matsumoto choked, not really capable of a longer sentence. He hummed against her skin with delight, then pulled back and before she had time to feel disappointed, he had her up bridal style, carrying her back into her room and on her bed. His mouth was below her ear in a heartbeat, his now free hands slowly opening her robes to allow him much needed access. His nimble fingers felt at a hundred places at once, whereas his lips left ardent trails on her skin. Matsumoto threw her head back, closing her eyes.

"Ran-chan..." Gin's breath was on her ear, tickling, teasing, his voice a soft, luring coo "My princess..."

Her robes were already opened in the front, she could feel his hands on her flat stomach, his feather-like touches, awaiting something to become more aggressive.

"Tell me you're mine..." he licked her ear-lobe, making her shiver. She gasped, arching her back.

"_Tell me..._"

She let her eyes open just a little bit, biting her lower lip.

"You know you are. You. _belong_. to me. Your heart. Your body. _Everything_. You're _mine_ for the taking! Nothing and no one will change that!"

Suddenly, Matsumoto's world sank in silence. Everything disappeared, drown inexplicably into an infinity of pure white. It was a place with no time, no aging and no real existence. And there she stood, not knowing why, where or how and there stood he. He, with his snowy locks and smooth, ivory skin, his gently curved lips, his delicate features, and heavy lashes... and sad, sad jade eyes.

She felt her heart stop beating when she saw those eyes. When she saw the hurt and the despair, and the unbelievable, indescribable, painful longing. When she saw the depths of his misery and just how incurable his wounds were. And how those wounds would never become more bearable, but with the time, slowly, irreversibly destroy him.

He closed his eyes for a moment and his lips moved. He whispered. Faint, weak, pleading whisper...

"_Don't_..."

Suddenly, Matsumoto's eyes shot open completely pulled away from Gin, her hands going to his shoulder, pushing him away.

"Gin, no! Leave!" she said firmly, frowning at his confused expression "I... I can't. Not now. Just leave. Now. Go."

"Ya sure?" he asked, raising a brow. She nodded. Ichimaru got off the bed, his eyes never leaving her as she sat up and fixed her robes.

"Go!" she repeated, looking away. Ichimaru was on the door in a second.

"Well, ya do kno' Ran-chan... if it won't be ya t'night, it'll be someone else." he said, shrugging and with those words he was gone. Behind him, Matsumoto screamed with rage, grabbing the nearest pillow and throwing it at the door.

"God!" she yelled, slapping her forehead "What the fuck did just happen?"


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: I think it was a pretty nice chappie, again, though it's starts a bit slowly maybe, but be kind okay? I have a lot on my head. ^^ Okay, now read and review!_**

* * *

She didn't really have to go anywhere - they could always deliver it to her or even come personally to make it in the castle itself, considering her every whim on the subject. But she went anyway. She went, even though she knew she'd have to go with a little army surrounding her and irritatingly following every step she made. She went, even though every time she looked over her shoulder at the face of her personal guardian, riding right behind her, a tiny piece of her heart tore off.

Matsumoto went to choose and buy her wedding gown because she needed to get out from the castle, to enjoy the three-hour horse-back riding through the woods and prove to herself that she wasn't living into a ever-lasting nightmare where the clock had stopped and nothing ever changed.

It had been days since Hitsugaya had last spoken to her. Day, maybe weeks, she didn't know, she didn't feel. The time had turned into such a blurry unit.

It had been days since Gin had last approached her without some sort of stupid formal event as a reason. Days, maybe weeks, she didn't know, she didn't feel. He hadn't touched her, or said anything aside from the usual clichés that the circumstances required of him. He deflected every feeble attempt of hers to start a conversation and he did it in ways that left her in desperation of her own weakness and wretchedness. She felt alone and forgotten when surrounded by her tons and tons of servants, every each one of whom willing to satisfy all of her needs and cravings. She felt wounded and ill even though her body was healthy and strong as ever and she felt so confused and incapable to pull herself together, that even the simplest tasks she had to fulfill were a hell of a challenge for her.

She knew this had to stop, but she didn't know how to do it and it was destroying her from the inside. Little by little, every day, turning her into a brittle shell with no shade...

Matusmoto sighed, looking down at her hands, clutching the rains of her horse. She wasn't supposed to ride on a horseback since she was a princess, but she did anyways; she had done it for years and people were already used to it. She didn't like being carried around like some sort of fragile porcelain antic, preserved in a box and she didn't enjoy how everybody always expected from her to hide even at the smallest signs of danger. She was just as strong and capable of taking care of herself as any other normal person.

Not that she felt that way right now but...

Matsumoto took a deep breath and pulled slightly on the reins, making the horse slow down and line up with Hitsugaya's. He looked up to meet her gaze, but his eyes were a strange, dull color, his face radiating solely exhaustion with his bones more pronounced than usual and the faint bluish shadows wandering under his lower lashes.

"Toshiro..." she began, but he shook his head violently.

"Please, don't do this." he said softly "I don't need your pity."

The quiet and defeated manner in which he spoke those words felt like a blade of ice, being shoved in her chest. The frost from it spread across her whole body, benumbing her insides, her throat and heart.

"I don't want you to hate me..." she whispered, praying in vane that her voice wouldn't crack. Hitsugaya sighed, then closed his eyes for a moment, his shoulder slumping.

"I don't hate. I can't." he said, his lids lifting half the way "It's impossible when I... when I feel completely different emotion towards you."

Matsumoto didn't have time to ponder on her reply, for a loud scream sounded from somewhere in the front as one of the servants was knocked off his horse by an arrow. Before anyone had come to his help, more began to fall, as the so far invisible enemies continued their assault and more and more bolts rained from random directions. The little travelling company was quickly overwhelmed by utter panic, the air filling with cries, shouting and neighing. The younger horses were slipping out of control, consumed by the chaotic atmosphere and were trying to stand on two legs and throw their riders on the ground. The less experienced and brave to stupidity guards were running singly into the surrounding woods in search for the attackers and none of them ever came back.

"Hide!" Hitsugaya yelled at Matsumoto, unsheathing his sword with one shift movement, then turned to one of the guards "Take everybody to some place safe and leave only those who can fight."

"I _can_ fight!" Rangiku shouted and he glared at her venomously.

"I'm not arguing with you about this!" he snapped, lips barely moving from anger and stress. Before Matsumoto had a chance to reply, a sickening laugh sounded through the woods, making everybody halt at their places. The rain of arrows ceased and suddenly everything went silent.

Matsumoto wanted to ask what was going on but she felt like it was the wrong moment. Hitsugaya's stance was suddenly tense, his senses alerted and his fingers squeezing the hilt of his sword till his knuckles turned white. His teeth were bared like those of an enraged beast and his whole body resembled the one of an animal, preparing to either attack or defend at all cost.

Next thing they knew, there were masked and hooded figures jumping out of the woods from all directions. Armed with daggers, swords, bows and spears, they were swift, efficient and deadly. Their long, flexible bodies and silent movements served as basis for their abilities to dodge their enemies' assaults. But whoever they were, whatever they wanted, they were far from Hitsugaya's class.

One moment he was on his horse, next thing he was bringing one of the attackers down and defending himself from another. His whole being had suddenly concentrating on the single aim that was to render them all inoffensive, or if needed - dead.

"Hyourinmaru!" he cried out, his shikai coming out to his help, accompanied with a warning wave of cold winter air "Matsumoto, get out of here, goddamnit!"

Rangiku glanced at the rest of the guards, making a mental note of their lessening numbers and jumped off her horse, pulling her zanpakuto out.

"You always let me fight by your side, I'm fighting by your side NOW!" she hissed throwing herself in between Hitsugaya's back and one of the attackers.

"This is different!" he yelled, pushing away his opponent and slashing swiftly at the suddenly very conveniently opened midriff "These are no ordinary thieves or bandits! They are conspirators! They are probably coming for you, coming from our war-enemies' side to get to _you_!"

Matsumoto disarmed one of the masked figures and with a stab in the shoulder sent the body to the ground, then turned quickly around to face her body-guard.

"Just admit that you're mad and you want to make me mad, as well!" She snapped and he gritted his teeth angrily "This has nothing to do with how dangerous the situation is! You want to force me to think of you as nothing but a very responsible, dry, mindless servant of mine. You want me to..." she narrowed her eyes before the last part, her voice full with indignation "You want me to _hate_ you, don't you! _Don't you_?"

"_No_!" he shouted, his hands shooting up to grab his hair and his eyes squeezing shut "NO!"

"YES!" Matsumoto yelled, eyes wide with realization and hurt "YOU DO! ADMIT IT! BE A MAN AND ADMIT IT! YOU WANT AN EXCUSE TO HATE ME! AN EXCUSE TO FORGET ME!"

"SHUT UP!"

"AND AN EXCUSE TO NOT FUCKIN' LOVE ME!" she screamed and he dropped his hands and opened his eyes, the teal irises feeling like melted iron on her.

"I've had enough!" he spat and a blast of freezing cold air exploded around him, startling Rangiku. Unexpectedly, she felt a shiver run down her spine and it had nothing to do with the temperatures. For a moment, gazing at his contorted with anger expression, she felt a tingle of fear sparkle in her heart along with the full realization of how powerful he had become, right under her nose.

Hitsugaya turned around, his back now facing the princess and the soil under his feet began to cover with a thin layer of ice.

"Stand back." he said quietly, grabbing the sword with both hands. Matsumoto did as she was told, feeling the sting of the threat that was blazing furiously into his voice and along with that a tinge of pity messing up with her stomach for whatever he was about to do with the attackers.

Hitsugaya closed his eyes for barely a moment and a load sound, a shriek, a cry, a _roar_ echoed through the woods and the mountains and the enormous body of a ancient creature began to form fast and frightening into the air. Before the eyes of the amazed witnesses, there appeared the glazing skin and giant, powerful wings, quivering upon the back of the beast. Building up on top of the great paws, there were the lethal claws and finishing the length of the bony spine of the magnificent dragon, there trailed the massive tail. And that was only partly the true form of Hyourinmaru.

Matsumoto knew that Toushiro was holding back some. And she knew that he not only had incredibly much more to show, but there were things he was yet to discover, for his young age wasn't allowing him to get to walk even half the tunnel that was leading to the peak of his abilities and strength.

Mere moments later all that was left from the enemies, was frozen and immobilized, moaning bodies, their weapons useless in their numb limbs. Hitsugaya's shoulder visibly relaxed and he let out a small sigh, his hand with the sword falling by his side.

"All done." he said quietly as a small gust of wind blew against his face, gentle and soothing. Matsumoto stood behind him, allowing the same air go through her and inhaling the delicate scent that was Hitsugaya Toushiro.

"Captain!" a man shouted running towards the boy, for whenever the princess was going somewhere with her guards, the ruler of the ice dragon was in charge of the protection.

"What is it?" Toushiro asked with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"One of them ran off!" the man shouted with worry, pointing south at a lonely figure, clad in dark garments, that was sprinting in the opposite direction.

Hitsugaya's eyes immediately widened and his muscles tightened, alerted and ready for action. But before he had done anything, the figure, as it seems, succeeded in gathering enough strength and focus to shunpo. The boy let out a low growl of irritation, clenching his fists, then suddenly walked past his subordinate and knelt next to one of the fallen attackers.

"What are you doing?" Matsumoto asked from somewhere behind him.

"Interrogating." Hitsugaya said, pulling off the hood and then the mask of the enemy.

A few gasps echoed through the field and Matsumoto's hands shot up to cover her mouth. Hitsugaya stood above the attacker with an expression of utter shock and a shadow of regret across his face. There, on the grown, with half-frozen body, laid a girl, no more than fifteen years old with dark red hair, spilled around her head. Her exhausted green eyes were staring up at Toushiro with a mix of hatred and fascination.

"I'm not going to tell you anything." the girl said, a feeble smirk playing across her face, but her eyes quickly becoming blurry and unfocused "But I will tell you to beware, because they will come back for you."

Hitsugaya's teeth immediately bared and his hands clenched into trembling fists.

"You saw what just happen, do you really believe that you or your friends can get to her?" he hissed, but the girl just let out a small, amused chuckle, closing her eyes for a moment.

"The Princess?" she asked "Oh no. They won't be aiming for the Princess after today." her lids lifted and the glowing green orbs gazed at Hitsugaya's teal ones "They will come for _you_... Ice-wielder."


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: For some reason I feel quite uncertain about my latest updates. I hope this one isn't too weird. No flamers, please, just constructive criticism. :) Be nice. I'm nice. Everybody should be nice.... Fine enough niceness, read and review!**_

_**P.S. And I'm going off for 3 or 4 days, so there'll be delay to the review replies. :)  
**_

* * *

**Two days after the accident:**

"You have to take this seriously!" Matsumoto screamed after him as she threw her hand in the air, but he simply shook his head neglectfully and continued down the castle's empty corridor. The princess let out a low groan, cursing the boy under her breath, than ran after him.

"Why are you acting so disregardful of what happened?" she fumed, grabbing Hitsugaya's sleeve and tugging on it in attempt to get his attention. He just snickered softly and without even looking at her, pulled the material harshly away from her fingers.

"What do you want me to do? We just discovered that every each one of our masked attackers was a female of different age, a lot of them mere girls, we found out that one of our biggest enemy kingdoms, the only one where the most powerful figure is always a woman - the queen and not the king - was behind the assault and we also..."

"Stop it!" Rangiku yelled as she finally succeeded in outpacing him and stood before him, both of her hands on his chest to keep him in place "What if that girl was telling the truth? What if they really come after you? I mean, shouldn't we do something to make sure you're safe? Maybe right now they are plotting how to kill you..."

Hitsugaya rolled his cyan eyes, sighing with irritation, then leaned forward, his face mere inches away from hers.

"Who. Cares?" he hissed through tightly clenched teeth and was about to walk past her when she suddenly grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the nearest wall with unexpected force, her pale blue orbs flaming with anger.

"Don't pull that crap on me!" she growled, surprising him a little "You know well enough that _I_ care! You _know_ I _want_ you to be safe!"

Hitsugaya's slightly widened eyes slowly returned to their original size and his lips curved to a side into an acid smile.

"And you're just _too_ used to always getting what you want, don't you?" he said softly, his hand raising to pull his shirt out of Rangiku's grip. Her hold, however was surprisingly unyielding.

"Stop turning things around." she whispered, fisting the garment between her fingers tighter and pulling him about an inch more towards herself before whispering almost against his lips, her voice calm, yet radiating irrefutable irritation "This is not about what I want or get, is it?"

"No... it's not."

"This has to stop, Toushiro. _Now_."

"You're asking too much from me." Hitsugaya implied, his features suddenly softening and replacing his stern expression with an almost defeated one. Matsumoto found herself suddenly completely speechless as his fingers glided gently and soothingly along her wrist and somehow made her unconsciously loosen her grip on his collar.

"Gods..." she muttered, closing her eyes for a moment and shaking her head "I truly regret how complicated this has become. But for some reason I just can't bring myself to regret..."

"Ran-chan!" someone called an they both turned to look at where the voice had come from. Matsumoto immediately let go of her guardian's clothes and stepped back, her cerulean eyes wide and shining with a spiking emotion that made Hitsugaya's heart miss a beat. Gin Ichimaru. Who else?

Toushiro let out an almost imperceptible sigh, then while Rangiku's dazzling eyes were still locked languorously on her approaching fiancé, turned around and walked in the opposite direction, completely unnoticed. His footsteps were light, deft and soundless as if he were no human, but a mere shade, disappearing irrevocably under the consuming power of the sun. In his opinion such comparing was probably quite precise and on spot. After all...What was an ordinary guardian like him against the light of the flaming star that was the prince?

* * *

"If you're telling the truth, Akane, and the boy you saw is truly _him_...Our little, long-lost treasure..." Princess Shinju began, turning around to face the other woman with an exciting spark enlightening her otherwise dead grey eyes "Then he belongs to me. By blood."

"Undeniably, sister." Akane agreed, removing her mask and letting a fountain of pitch-black locks spill around her slim shoulders "Don't worry. The boy will be brought to you as soon as possible. I'll personally take care of it."

"Make sure not to fail me, again, Akane-chan." Shinju cooed, reaching with a spindly hand to remove a loosened brownish lock from her eyes. Her sister attempted to suppress a mock chuckle that was pushing to emit through her ruby lips.

"Attacking the princess was a blind, impulsive and quite pointless action, as I've been telling from the very start." the black-haired woman pointed out, a hint of haughtiness in her deep voice "However, it has brought us unexpectedly useful information and now we have a real aim. I assure you this time: failure. _is not_. an option."

"Sounds like you have a plan." Shinju noticed as she gracefully seated herself on the chair next to her dressing table.

"I merely managed to get inside information on the boy. I think the...circumstances are very much in our favor. I'm quite sure we won't need much plotting this time. We just have to keep an eye on him and wait for the right moment to be presented to us... I'll take up the task myself. Spying is always entertaining." she grinned "I shall be starting right away. And I don't think we'll have to wait for long. Males, for some reason, enjoy consciously making themselves completely useless by drowning their sorrow in alcohol every time they have a fit of self-pity..."

"You sound pretty confident. Are you sure you'll be able to recognize him after seeing him just once?" the princess asked slowly, raising a nicely curved brow. Akane couldn't help it but let out a laugh at that question.

"Trust me, he cannot be mistaken, Shinju-chan."

"Oh?"

"Tall, lean, athletic... spiky snow-white hair, expressive cyan eyes, pale skin... I'm almost jealous of you, sister. How come you always get the pretty things..."

"He's just a tool, Akane-chan, don't forget that. A tool with deadly power."

"Conveniently pretty tool with deadly power." the dark-haired one sniggered.

* * *

**Few days later:**

Kyouraku just hiccupped, too drunk to be in condition to feel the slightest worry when he saw the content of yet another glass of sake being emptied in his young friend's throat. After all, what could possibly happen if the two of them had little, but very much earned fun after in the end of the day. It wasn't like alcohol was bad for your health, right? Certainly, nothing that made you feel so great could be anything but wholesome.

"Gods!" Hitsugaya exclaimed, slamming the empty glass on the bar and shaking his head once, violently. Kyouraku found the strength to focus enough for a goofy grin but after that his attempt to pat Toushiro's shoulder with avuncular approval failed miserably when he simply missed said shoulder and fell off the chair with a loud thud.

Hitsugaya redirected hazy curious eyes at his fella and figured the older man was doing quite well on the floor, swimming or something, Toushiro wasn't really sure, but he also most definitely didn't care. Shrugging off the existence of Shunsui, the boy was now focused solely on the bar, the barman and the alcohol.

"Ineedadrink..." the dragon wielder lisped for an umpteenth time that evening and lowered his head to the glass' level, jogging said object forward with his index finger. The barman eyed his almost-dead-to-the-world customer, then after a second of not-so-deep musing pulled out the sake bottled and gave Hitsugaya what he wanted.

"Nanao-chan..."a voice sounded from somewhere below. Toushiro's mussed up mind figured it must've been underground gnomes, digging tunnels (that made him snort), and turned his whole, yet not very intense attention back to his glass.

"Drinkingsfun..." Hitsugaya murmured, blinking slowly and looked up at the barman with inexplicable tenderness "Iloveyou,man,youmakemehappy... Shedidn'tmakemehappy, nope... Notatall... You, on the other hand...Wishyaallthebest. NowIneedanotherdrink... "

"Nanao-chaann..."

"Toomanygnomesaroundhere. Dosomethingaboutit..."

"You should probably go home." the barman said in a sudden fit of pity. Hitsugaya let out a strange sound, that was probably supposed to be a laughter.

"...NoideawhereIleave... Crappy, huh? But, ohwell, I'll domybest..." he got off the chair, reeling and started to unsteadily make his way towards the door "I'llprobablyneedtovomitsometimesoonanyway..."

And with that Hitsugaya left the bar, completely forgetting about his friend. Somewhere in the bar a small chuckle could be heard.

"I must be born under a lucky star..."

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Nanao asked as she peeked into Matsumoto's room. A loud grunt resounded through the place as a rather big bulge under the covers of the bed budged, making the newly arrived woman's eyes widen with both surprise and amusement.

"How is a person who knows for sure she's going to hell suppose to feel?" came a muffled voice from under the blanket. Nanano sighed and shook her head before making her way towards the bed.

"You're not going to go to hell, Rangiku..."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"That's not a good enough answer."

"Believe me, it is, now come out of there... come on..." Nanao stood over Rangiku's bed and with one hand on her hip and the most earnest expression across her face, poked the bulge. A loud whine came from underneath the blankets as the person, hidden there curled to herself. The black-haired woman's lips twisted to a side with irritation as she grabbed a fistful of the cover and gave it a harsh pull, succeeding in revealing her friend's disheveled reddish head.

"Leave me alone, Nanao-chan, I want to die in peace..." Matsumoto grumbled but the other woman had already pulled her whole blanket away, leaving her sullen and sleepy friend in her pink nightgown.

"Oh, don't be silly!" Nanao scolded her, pushing her glasses a bit up her nose "No one dies in peace. Now get up and collect yourself."

"I don't want to..." Rangiku mumbled sourly, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her hands around them. Her friend sighed, then sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her with a hint of worry in her calm eyes.

"I'm listening." she said quietly. Matsumoto directed pale-blue eyes towards her, a small sigh escaping her lips.

"I don't know what to do..."

"Is this about Gin?"

"And Toushiro."

"I see." Nanao murmured "What happened now?"

Matsumoto groaned, burying her face in her knees with desperation.

"I'm so confused! For the first time in my life I feel like I really _don't know_ what I want!"

"What happened?" Nanao asked once more, reaching with her hand towards her friend's face and gently coaxing her to lift her eyes again. Rangiku exhaled softly, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Few days ago I was trying to convince Toushiro to start taking seriously what one of the girls who attacked us had said. It got messier than I thought, because from discussing... or rather attempting to discuss the matter of his safety, we somehow moved on...well, what had happened between us." Matsumoto simply ignored the disapproving frown and the soft "hm" that came from Nanao's side. The princess knew well enough how the black-haired woman felt about the affair, even though Ise would never judge her harshly, especially in a situation like this one. One of the most important things in their friendship was exactly this - the understanding and tolerance their shared, respecting the very much protuberant differences in their characters and attitudes. Despite how much and how often they disagreed, they always listened to one another's problems and even if giving advices wasn't always working out, it was still comforting enough to feel that someone was there for you in whatever kind of mess you had got yourself into.

"And then what happened? Gin showed up?" Nanao asked, raising a brow. Matsumoto looked at her with surprise, then nodded.

"You're too smart for your own good, Nanao-chan..." Rangiku pointed out, her eyes wide with admiration "Why is it so that people with glasses are always sooo clever?"

"Don't get distracted. Gin showed up. Then what?"

"Right. And then I really got carried away, completely forgetting about Toushiro, because, you see Gin hadn't spoken to me normally in so long and it was really eating me up and now he-... I don't know. He seemed to be on good terms with me again. And I had been wishing for this to happen for days and expecting to feel so happy and soo joyful and soo excited and relieved when it _did _happen... But much to my surprise... I didn't. I didn't feel any different." Matsumoto paused, looking at her friend guiltily "Instead, few minutes later I noticed Toushiro was gone and suddenly there was this _strong _desire to make things right between me and him again. And-and... Oh, damn... Nanao-chan, what does that mean?"

Pause.

"You already know what it means." Ise pointed out, looking at her friend above the frames of her glasses. Matsumoto let out a low groan, running a hand across her face.

"It CAN'T be! I can't possibly have..."

"Why not?" Nanao cut her off, frowning "He's handsome, strong, responsible, _loyal_... "

"Boy-genius! I can't have fallen in love with a boy-genius!"

"...kind, gentle and he loves you." Nanao paused for a moment, scanning her friend's perplexed face "Doesn't that seem enough?"

Matsumoto lifted her cerulean orbs to meet her friend's dark blue ones(A/N: I just realized Nanao has blue eyes. What a shock! Google it if you don't believe me...) and bit her lower lip, the realization and acceptance slowly, but irrevocably seeping into her heart and mind, tinting her cheeks and fueling her with a sort of energy and anticipation she had not expected. In a second she was on her feet, fussing around. Her eyes were sparkling with a new emotion, her heart thumping at an enormous rate, as if ready to explode.

"I have to tell him!" she suddenly exclaimed, grabbing a comb from her dressing table and pulling it through her hair hastily. Behind her back a small smile tugged on Nanao's lips.

* * *

It took Matsumoto about 5 minutes to get in a approximately acceptable condition and just as she opened the door to rush out of her room and find Hitsugaya, she stumbled upon Kyouraku, who was standing on the doorstep, his hand raised in a fist, ready to knock.

"Your Highness!" the man exclaimed, then noticed his beloved behind Rangiku's shoulder and his lips stretched in a charming smiled "My dearest Nanao-chan!"

Ise's glasses shone dangerously and her lips pursed, though the man didn't fail to notice a strange spark that enlightened her eyes for a second, before being pushed away and hidden in the depths of her conscious.

"What is it?" Matsumoto asked, looking Kyouraku quizzically and he redirected his gaze towards the princess.

"Oh, um, I wanted to ask you if you would tell me where Hitsugaya is..." the man asked, giving her an expectant look.

"I was just going to go search for him. I haven't seen him since yesterday afternoon..." Matsumoto said and was about to add something, when she saw Kyouraku's face and her heart missed a beat "What's wrong?"

"I though you saw him... Or maybe that he spent the night with you..." he mumbled, horror and shock radiating from every word he said, his face pale and his brows furrowed "Nobody has seen him since yesterday. And he hasn't gone home either."

"That's not... That's not like him..."

"Precisely. It's well past noon and he's never late... if he was sick, he would've made sure to send a notice..."

"I spoke with every person who knows him, with his neighbors, colleagues, friends... And he has no living relatives so... You were the only one left who could have an idea where he could've gone." Kyouraku said, running a hand through his hair.

"But she doesn't know anything..." Nanao added, a thoughtful expression across her face as she tried to think of another logical explanation.

"What does that mean?" Matsumoto asked, shaking her head once, violently, the meaning of the said failing to process through her mind.

Kyouraku gazed at her for a moment, contemplating, trying to see if he could put it more gently.

"Something must've happened to him... There's no other explanation."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well, here's the next chapter of this story! It might be a little bit confusing, but everything will clear up in the next chapter if you keep reading... which I hope you will. I hope you like it, I'm a bit uncertain if I did well this time. Please, review and tell me. Anonymous reviews are also very very welcomed!**

**Okay, I really need some moral support here, because the next pairing on the Bleach Romance Contest (the stories for which are in my "Weird Pairings Collection" in case you're wondering) is IchigoxIshida and I'm kinda experiencing a personal drama here... T_T  
**

* * *

"Is this where he lives?" Matsumoto asked, blinking several times at the sight of the small grayish house with no garden and no fence on the very verge of the populated area, quite far from the castle itself.

"Yup." Kyouraku nodded, glancing in her direction with a hint of surprise in his eyes "He hasn't moved since his parents died. Didn't you know?"

"No... he never took me here."

"Ahh, right... " the man murmured, looking up at the sky for a moment as the shadow of a memory reflected momentary in his orbs "I remember now... He mentioned something about how it was too humble and unworthy the attention of a princess..."

Matsumoto's head snapped in his direction and she opened her mouth, ready to argue when Nanao's sedate voice unexpectedly cut into the conversation:

"Does he walk to the castle every morning? That's quite a significant distance..." the raven-colored woman pointed out, walking between the two with her hands folded neatly in front of her chest.

"Toushiro is a early-waker." Kyouraku said, rewarding his deadpan love with a charming smile "I don't know how he does it, but this boy is like a friggin' clock. He's up at five in the morning, does his training and exercises and then heads for the castle... That doesn't include night-shifts of course..." he added, his smile growing slightly with hope that was quickly demolished by Nanao's indifferent "hm" of a respond.

"Good for him." Ise agreed, fixing her gaze on the house "Now let's see if we can find anything more useful in his home..."

11111111111111111111111111111

"The lock is broken..." Kyouraku pointed out as he pushed gently the front door, making it open with a soft creak. Behind him Matsumoto let a small scoff escape her lips.

"There's unknown reiatsu leaking all over the place and you figure someone broke in by the _destroyed door_?" she asked mockingly, raising a nicely curved brow as she abruptly withdrew her zanpakuto.

"I have a hang-over, be easy on me..." the man pouted as he pulled both his swords out and made a step in "Please, stand back, my dearest Nanao-chan, whoever this is, they must be still inside. It could be dangerous."

A pair of sighs sounded behind his back.

"My senses are _not_ dulled by formidable amount of sake." the raven-haired woman pointed out softly "_You_ should be careful..."

Kyouraku glanced at her over his shoulder, giving her a small smile, then started to make his way inside the house, followed right behind by Matsumoto. According to Shunsui, there weren't many rooms to get through - just a tiny kitchen, a living-room that was mostly stuffed with books, a small bedroom and a bathroom. But whoever was inside, wasn't making much efforts to hide their presence. As matter of fact, there was some pretty noticeable noise coming out from the slightly ajar door in the end of the short corridor.

Shunsui put on the most valiant look he could master, glancing at Nanao with the corner of his eye, then burst into the room, ready to attack every moving object inside.

"Oi! Kyouraku, what the hell...?"

"What are you two doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?"

Matsumoto peeked cautiously in the room, eyeing the people inside one by one before making a step in.

"You know them?" the princess asked, gesturing towards a tall youth with spiky orange hair and a short black-haired girl with stubbornly-shaped lips that were standing in the middle of Hitsugaya's living-room with rather confused expressions across their faces.

"Yeah..." Kyouraku said as he sheathed his swords "Kuchiki Rukia is in the royal guard, one of the elite, and Kurosaki Ichigo... um, he's something of a "substitute guard"... She helped him unleash his rather impressive powers and now he shoves his nose in every mission and event that considers the castle and the people's safety."

"It's Toushiro I'm considered about right now." Ichigo objected, folding his hands over his chest as he eyed Matsumoto up and down "You're the princess, right? What business do you have here?"

Rangiku opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by Rukia's somehow taunt chuckle.

"A lot more than you think, Ichigo." she said, giving Matsumoto a rather annoying haughty look. The princess snorted under her breath, looking away.

"If you two are here, I suppose you know something about Hitsugaya-kun that we don't." Nanao interfered, stepping forth. Ichigo and Rukia exchanged glances and the carrot top's eyes fixed on Kyouraku with wonder.

"Did you, by any chance, take him out for a drink yesterday?" Kurosaki asked, casually throwing his surprisingly large sword over his shoulder as he contemplated the other man thoughtfully. Kyoraku's eyes widened for a moment and he laughed nervously as he felt both the princess' and Nanao's gaze burn holes in the back of his head. He gulped restlessly, then hooked his index finger under his collar and gave it a little pull, loosening it in attempt to get rid of the sudden heat that was engulfing his neck.

"Ichigo lives near my favorite bar, you see..."Shunsui explained, a rather bluntly faked laugh escaping his lips as the glasses of the object of his affection shone dangerously and she cleared her throat.

"That's _not_ what he was asking you..."

"Well, about that... I... I might've... taken the boy to loosen up a bit... My memories from back then are somewhat blurry..."

"How much?"

"How much what?"

Matsumoto's hand was on his collar within a second and her teeth were bared dangerously at him as she hissed the detailed version of her question right into his face:

"_How much __**exactly**_ did you help him loosen up?"

Not liking the hostility the slightest bit, Kyouraku gulped audibly and with a guilty grin attempted to unnoticeably un-claw her fingers from the material of his robes.

"That's a very subjective question you're asking..." he murmured. Matsumoto stared blankly at him for about three more seconds, then pulled back a bit and tilted her head slightly to a side to meet Ichigo's eyes expectantly.

"I saw him sometime in the morning... it was dark, I didn't look at the clock... but he looked like he wouldn't last long on his legs." the carrot top explained, ignoring Kyouraku's pained cry to those sincere words. Matsumoto's face paled and she shoved away the man she was holding, making a step towards Kurosaki.

"Tell me what you know. Please."

Flashback:

_Ichigo woke up with a groan and cursed the fact he had forgotten to close the window. There were some strange and rather disturbing, most likely inebriate by origin sounds coming from outside._

_He rolled on his back and ran a hand across his face with a sigh. There were just too many flaws to living near a bar than pluses and he received proof to that way too often. Disturbing a decent orange-haired man's sleep? That was just wrong._

_He got up with difficulty and dragged his heavy body to the window, pausing there in a pathetic attempt to remember how exactly to close said window. His eyes, filled with hatred, unconsciously directed to the streets and the place where the noise came from. But before he could even start cursing the idiot drunker who was up at this hour, wandering the streets with more alcohol than any other liquid in his system, his gaze fell on the man's face and he halted, surprised and bewildered._

_"Toushiro!" he exclaimed with shock and as if to his call, Hitsugaya stumbled and almost fell on his face on the sidewalk in front of Ichigo's house._

_Kurosaki examined the white-haired youth for a second, estimating the ice-wielder's condition and chances to get home unharmed, then sighed and after leaning over the frame of the window, shouted:_

_"Stay there, I'm coming for you!"_

_He received no particular answer from the clouded mind but nevertheless rushed inside and searched for something to quickly put on. He was on the front door within half a minute, threw it open and was about to rush forward for his friend, but stopped dead on his tracks, his eyes going wide._

_A meter or two before the inebriated Hitsugaya, there stood the tall hooded figure of a woman. Ichigo could not see her face, but there was just something about her that made him feel uneasy._

_"Ice-wileder..." she whispered, a small smirk forming on her lips as Toushiro lifted his hazy eyes to look at her "I've come to take you home."_

_She took a step forward, raising her hands ever so slightly as if reaching for him. Hitsugaya blinked slowly once and then with one last sigh, lost his conscious and collapsed lifelessly in her arms._

_"HEY, YOU!" Ichigo suddenly yelled, shaking his head to recover "What do you think you're doing?!"_

_He could see the woman's smirk grow under the hood as she wrapped her hands tightly around Hitsugaya's limp body, letting his head rest on her shoulder._

_"I'm taking the boy with me. And just so you know, there's not much you can do about it." and with that she waved him goodbye and shunpo-ed along with her pray._

End of Flashback.

"YOU BLOODY MORON!" Matsumoto yelled, restricted only by Ichigo's hands not to throw herself on Kyouraku and strangle him to death "You got him drunk, you granted him completely helpless towards any enemy whatsoever, and now he's kidnapped. Dead, maybe!"

"He's not dead." Kurosaki said behind her "I saw the look on that woman's face. She was planning to do something with him. But it was not murder."

"You can't be sure!" Matsumoto snapped, her breaths turning into gasps and her struggles becoming weaker "You can't... You don't know if he-... if... Toushiro...is..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, her attempts to pull away from Ichigo's hands ceasing completely and she inhaled sharply, trying to remain composed in front of all these people.

"Rangiku..." Nanao whispered, approaching her friend and nodding to the orange-haired youth to let go. Released completely from Kurosaki's hold, Matsumoto sank to her knees, her eyes now focused on her violently shaking hands.

"I can't believe this..." the princess uttered, biting her lower lip "My Toushiro... he's..."

"We'll get him back." Nanao said, kneeling in front of her friend "We'll do whatever it takes and we'll get him back."

1111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Hitsugaya squeezed his eyes shut, moaning softly as he slowly began to wake up. His head throbbed warningly at those attempts, granting him with rather vague reminders of the previous night and scenes of him devouring some of his first drinks.

He lifted his seemingly extremely heavy hand and almost dropped it on his face, a loud groan tearing from his throat.

_Worst hangover ever... _he decided, immediately eliminating the idea that it could be something else... or something else in addition to the said hangover.

His body felt weak and worn out, there was a funny taste in his mouth, his head was attempting to explode and he felt nausea rather quickly building up in his stomach...

"Shit!" he murmured, sitting up abruptly and in his attempt to get off the bed as soon as possible basically crashed down on the floor with a loud thud. Cursing under his breath as he tried to get on all fours despite the now tripled throbbing ache in his brows and temples, he wrapped a hand around his stomach, doing his best to take as shallow breaths as possible. It was rather useless. He was pretty sure it'd be a miracle if he could even get back on the bed.

"Here." someone said and a basin was shoved under his nose. Without caring who or why was doing this, Hitsugaya spat on all his (at that moment rather lacking) dignity and gratefully vomited in the vessel.

"Feeling better?" the voice asked as the boy pulled away from the basin and tried to get up on his shaky legs by supporting himself on the side of the bed.

"It's hard to tell..." Hitsugaya said, quickly abandoning the attempts when his legs gave up on him and he had to deal with simply sitting on the edge with one hand around his stomach and eyes tightly closed "Thank you..."

A loud laugh echoed through the room, that made Toushiro look up with confusion and a hint of worry in his teal orbs.

"You won't be thanking me for long..." Akane pointed out, eyeing the boy haughtily from her upright position near the wall. It was then that Hitsugaya noticed that wherever he was, it was definitely _not_ his home.

"Where am I?" Toushiro asked softly, his eyes gliding along the large round room, furnished quite well despite the rather intimidating bars on the windows and the long chain that connected his right ankle to the wall next to the bed.

Hitsugaya gasped, realizing for the first time the strange situation in which he was. His usual clothes were replaced by a set of new ones: a strange pure white haori of some kind, that didn't seem to have any ways to be buttoned at the front and left his bare chest visible to the world, baggy trousers in the same colour and no shoes whatsoever - he was completely barefooted.

"Princess Shinju's castle." came the calm reply as the black-haired woman folded her arms in front of her chest, observing her captive's shock with unhidden delight.

"W-what?" Hitsugaya uttered, his eyes widening as his mind tried pathetically to process the freshly-given information "But how did I-...?"

"Hm, I guess it's not so strange that you can't recall... I took you here. Last night." she paused for a moment, smirking at the puzzled boy "You were so drunk, you didn't resist at all. I've been following you for a few days... You were sooo upset and lost into your own loveless world that you didn't even notice... Anyway, eventually the right moment came, I got you out of the town, few of my subordinates waited for me there. And with their help and approximately twelve hours of travel... here we are."

"You've been _following_ me?"

"I can see you still have a tough time comprehending the information, correct?"

Hitsugaya shook his head, a confused frown on his face.

"But... why?"

The smirk on Akane's face grew bigger as she let out a small purr of content.

"I really don't want to spoil the moment for sister... All I'm going to say is that you won't be going back to your "home" again. Your best chances for survival from now on, are to do what you're told to do..."

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed at those words, his teeth baring at the woman and his hands clenching into fists.

"If you think you can hold me here, you're sadly mistaken!" he hissed. Akane only laughed again, shaking her head at him.

"Believe me, Toushiro-kun, all we need to hold you here is that little chain on your ankle and nothing more." she tilted her head to a side mockingly "We have your Hyourinmaru. Without the dragon, you're powerless."

"You have absolutely no idea who you are dealing with!"

"_I_ don't?" Akane asked raising both brows with amusement "Think again, boy. _You_'re the one who is obviously completely oblivious of how things work in these lands." she took a step towards him, her calm smile only making him grit his teeth with anger "That hangover you're experiencing right now? Must be really bad, right? You think you're going to get better, think of some way to get out of here? So sad." she ran a hand through her long hair nonchalantly, enjoying the way Hitsugaya struggled not to let his confusion show on his face "Well, I suppose it will get somewhat better than now. For a few days. The headache will go, and the nausea, and you won't feel so tired and worn out... But only for a few days. Then it'll get worse. Much worse."

"You're bluffing!" Hitsugaya spat but she shook her head, her smile suddenly completely gone.

"I'm not. I'm not lying to you. You'd better believe me, because if you don't cooperate with us, you're going to slowly experience all circles of hell, one by one... without us having to bother to do anything at all..."

"What are you talking about...?"

Akane opened her mouth to continue, but was cut off by the sound of someone unlocking the door from the outside. Few seconds later princess Shinju entered the room.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: There you go, a little bit of flashback for you all. And don't you dare be unsatisfied, you have no idea what I've been through the last few months. I'm having trouble getting back into writer shape. So be there for me, ok? Good. Now, review, and make mommy happy.  
**_

* * *

Flashback:

_"Home, sweet home! I can't believe I ever left you!" Matsumoto sang as she promptly hopped out of the carriage and her gaze slid across the stone and marble monster that was the castle, the blue tinges of her irises softening with warmth. A small chuckle sounded behind her back as Nanao's legs gracefully stepped on the ground and she stood beside her friend with the perfect and most exquisitely elegant posture a noble lady could wish for._

_"It was your idea to try something new and exciting abroad for three years. And don't deny, they flew pretty fast." he black-haired woman said, fixing her glasses. Matsumoto glanced at her friend for a second, the look in her blue eyes darkening a bit as she folded her arms before her chest gloomily._

_"Yeah, the stuff I learned were interesting... especially those from the last few months..." she murmured, her full lips pursing into a surprisingly thin line._

_"You're still angry..."_

_"How can I NOT be angry, damn it! My fiancé is _cheating_ on me, Nanao-chan! How am I suppose to feel??"_

_Nanao sighed, a hint of annoyance slightly contorting her face._

_"I _told_ you! Break the engagement." she insisted "Your father wouldn't force you to marry if-... Oh, no, wait, it doesn't matter because you still love him."_

_Matsumoto's eyes shot in her friend's direction, narrowing with frustration._

_"I hate it when you use that tone." the princess growled, starting to make her towards the gate with Nanao following right after._

_"I just don't see how you can be so angry and not do anything about it."_

_"Oh, I _am_ doing something about it." Matsumoto replied, her delicately curved brows furrowed in an uncommon frown._

_"Like what?" Nanao asked._

_"I don't want to think about it right now. I have things to enjoy, before Gin shows up on the doorstep, composed and casual as always." Rangiku said, her face quickly shaking off the look of bitterness and betrayal, replacing it with one of almost childish anxiety. She passed by several people, neglecting their greetings and the excuses about not expecting her so early today that they were seemingly trying to tell her. She grabbed Nanao's wrist and proceeded to tow the black-haired woman behind her._

_"Where are we going?" Nanao shouted, her eyes widening at her friend's uncontrollable faze._

_"To see my favourite diminutive warrior and give him a big hug, of course!" Matsumoto chirped and before Nanao had any chance to become even more puzzled, the red-head suddenly halted._

_"Where are we?"_

_"In front of the training grounds' entrance." the princess replied, her lips stretched into a bright smile as she released her friend's wrist and promptly walked towards the two men who guarded the door towards the needed place._

_"Your Highness!" they both exclaimed in unison, straightening their backs as the dashing red-head approached them._

_"Hello, boys." she greeted, flashing a dazzling smile in their direction as her index finger pressed against her lower lip to complete a perfectly innocent look of girlish confusion "I am searching for someone around here so I'd be very grateful to you if you could help me out."_

_"S-sure..." one of the men stuttered. Behind the princes, Nanao rolled her eyes artistically._

_"Wonderful!" Matsumoto chirped "Tell me then, please, where is it that I can find my little Shiro-kun?"_

_There was a pause. The two men exchanged glances._

_"Do you by any chance mean captain Hitsugaya?" one of them asked carefully. Matsumoto blinked, her brows arching with disbelief as she let her hands drop by her side and made a step backwards._

_"...Who?" she inquired, the edge of her lips twitching slightly on the verge of some sort of amused smile._

_The two men looked at each other again._

_"Captain Hitsugaya Toushiro?" the second one suggested. Matsumoto blinked, not even noticing when Nanao stepped next to her and gave her a quizzical look._

_"Wh-... Hah, no way... There must be some mistake." the princess insisted, raising both hands in front of her as she shook her head with disbelieve, a small smirk playing on her lips "We can't be speaking of the same person. Hitsugaya I know it's just a kid. He's younger than me. He can't possibly have become a captain for just..."_

_"What is going on h-...? Your Highness?"_

_Both guards jumped with surprise, taking the starchiest stances they could master before shouting a loud "Captain!" in unison and honoring said man with a bow. Matsumoto and Nanao turned around at the same time, freezing on spot at the sight that was presented to them. The princess' mouth flew open and a small choking sound escaped her lips before her hand shot to her throat. Next to her Ise's glasses slid down her nose, revealing a pair of widely opened blue eyes._

_"Oh... my..." Matsumoto began in a whisper, her lips barely moving._

_"I know." Nanao cut her off, quickly straightening her back in attempt to collect herself._

_"That's just..."_

_"I know. Quit staring."_

_Matsumoto shook her head abruptly, then almost stumbled forward, her hands shooting up and smacking both of Hitsugaya's cheeks at the same time, startling him and making him jump, but at the same time rendering him absolutely no hope for escape._

_"This is unbelievable!" Matsumoto exclaimed, pulling her palms a few inches away from his face only to let them again down to smack him with doubled force._

_"Ouch..." he murmured, cringing slightly, too baffled to show any other signs of resistance as the princess continued her examination._

_"Where did all the childish roundness go?" she murmured, shaking her head as she pinched his already slightly pink cheek impudently before grabbing a hold of his chin and leaning forward abruptly "Do you shave? It's hard to tell from a distance.I should have a closer look..."_

_"Um... Your Highness, don't you think this is a bit..."_

_"Rangiku!" Nanao screamed indignantly behind her back. The princess simply ignored her friend, her hands now running all over the boy's arms, probing the muscles underneath the garment with almost innocent curiosity. Almost. _

_"Wow, Toushiro... nice..." Matsumoto murmured absently "When did you get these? And more importantly, when the heck did you manage to become so tall?"_

_Hitsugaya let out a small chuckle, grabbing both her wrists to stop the investigations of his body and shook his head before leaning a bit to whisper to her conspiratorially._

_"You know, you just gave my subordinates a reason to talk for about...forever... and if it hadn't been the day of your return, I'd probably make you regret it, but since it is... " he paused, his features softening as he let a gentle smile twist his lips "I'll let it slip. Just this once."_

* * *

_"Damn, I've missed this..." Matsumoto murmured wading happily in the water. The river hummed a soft tune in synchrony with her thoughts, the waves around her legs vibrating with life and energy. She wriggled her toes, feeling the slightly rough mix of fine sand and stones as she held her shoes in her right hand and secured the hems of her robes in the other one. Rangiku sighed, smiling blissfully, and closed her eyes for a short moment, before a sudden thought entered her mind and she turned around to face her friend with a worried expression plastered on her face "Are you sure it's okay for you to skip work?"_

_"The guys will cover for me." Hitsugaya shrugged, sitting on the bank of the river with the fringes of his trousers rolled up as he lazily drew circles in the playfully dancing water with his bare feet "It's not like I haven't done it for them at least once before. But do you think you'll father and fiancé will manage without their princess?"_

_A small shadow casted on Matsumoto's forehead at Ichimaru's mentioning for just a second but it didn't remain unnoticed for the captain, even though she quickly restored her perky and carefree face and kicked a splash of water towards him. _

_"I guess they'll be forced to." she giggled, sticking her tongue out at him._

_"You haven't changed at all, have you?"_

_"Ah! Don't you dare talk about changes! I won't be able to call you Shorty any more! Oh, the cruelness of this world!" Matsumoto whined, stretching her hand with the shoes forward artistically as she put on the most tortured and comical expression one could master, before adding to the side with a devilish grin "I'd put my other hand to my heart, but then you'd see more of my legs that your innocent mind can handle."_

_Hitsugaya's brows shot up as he put his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his palms._

_"Oh, how am I thankful that the cruelness of this world granted me the honour to still call you a brat, brat. And by the way, my innocent mind has probably dealt with much more than yours."_

_"Ah, maybe, but not in the manner I was speaking to you about."_

_"You can't know."_

_"But I do." she chuckled darkly, one brow raising high as the evil grin grew into an almost cruel smirk "You don't have to be a prodigy for that, just one look at you says it all, Toushiro."_

_Hitsugaya let out a small growl, removing the hands from under his chin and looking to a side as a faint blush crept up his neck, tinting the pale flesh adorably. Matsumoto's smile instantly faltered and she sighed before slowly starting to make her way towards him._

_"You have _that_ look again." she pointed out and his eyes immediately shot up, glaring daggers in her direction._

_"You know, "_that _look" only exists in your sick imagination."_

_"It does not. And by the way, I find it sweet that you still have _that _look... I mean..." she stood before him, throwing the shoes to a side and letting go of her dress without real care about it getting wet before placing her now free hands on his knees "You probably don't even realize how much you've changed... And I'm a bit worried about how much more changes I'm about to discover... that aren't really.... physical..." she smiled gently at him but there was undeniable sadness in that smile that made his heart skip a beat._

_"What has happened?" he whispered, unconsciously placing his hands over hers as his frown deepened with concern "You're so messed up..."_

_Matsumoto's eyes widened ever so slightly, her lips parting with surprise, and she was about to say something, when the feeling of his palms, covering hers shot a wave of heat up her neck and she pulled away abruptly, startling him. He jumped, shocked and embarrassed and tried to get on his feet at the worst moment possible. Unluckily for both of them, Matsumoto hadn't thought her actions over very well either, as her legs were still in the water and one such hasty movement was impossible in that environment without serious consequences. She yelped, reeling backwards and her hands intuitively shot to the closest thing around for support, which unfortunately happened to be Hitsugaya's shirt._

_And Hitsugaya, along with his shirt, weren't all that stable at that moment either._

_Next thing they knew, they were both in the water, one over the other, struggling to get away from each other and at the same time searching for a way to the surface._

End of Flashback.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Ok, here I am, uploading this long forgotten story. I needed to read the whole thing once again to remember what I had in mind and what I had already said. I hope you like this chapter, personally I enjoyed writing it... the second part in particular. Keep ur fingers crossed for more of it in the near future. :)**_

* * *

"BUT DAD!" Matsumoto objected, indignation and hurt written all over her face as she stood up from her chair and gazed at her father's eyes with disbelief. "You _can't_ do this! We can't just…"

"Yes, we can." The king cut her off unabashedly from his place behind the desk, then unfolded a pair of glasses and placed them carefully on his nose, pulling a couple of papers to him. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"No, I _won't_ excuse you! You're not listening!"

"Rangiku…"

"NO! I can't accept this! I _won't _accept it! You have to do something, you have to…" she paused and inhaled deeply in a pathetic attempt to stop the trembling of her hands "We have to help him."

The kind sighed softly, then leaned back in his chair and removed the glasses from his face to look up at his daughter's determined expression.

"I am going to say this once, Rangiku, and I am not going to repeat. Hitsugaya Toushiro was a talented warrior and possessed a brilliant mind like no one I have ever met." He stopped for a moment to take a long sip from the cup of tea that was steaming quietly next to his stack of paperwork. "_However_, he is and always has been _just_ a boy. It is a sad loss, but I have no intention of risking anyone's life over this child, no matter how close friends you two were. You'll find someone else to befriend. By the way, your fiancé…"

BANG!

The room fell silent as Matsumoto's clenched fist landed with incredible force on the desk. The furniture shook dangerously, the wood's soft screech almost sounding like a helpless pained lament that cursed the cruelty of the princess. Rangiku didn't care. If she could, she would trash everything in this room to tiny fragments and she would scream and cry and kick and hit all the while, not caring about anything, and after she'd finished, she'd collapse on the floor and weep. She wasn't completely sure what she was feeling - whether anger, frustration or indignation – but whatever it was, it was so strong that she wasn't sure what she'd do if she allowed herself to move a single muscle. So she stood still, her eyes burying in her father's ones as she both pleaded and demanded of him to do as she asked. The king, however, didn't even flinch as he contemplated his daughter's actions.

"Control yourself, Rangiku." He said, pronouncing each word clearly.

"Why would I? Why would I act respectfully if you're basically sentencing someone to death out of laziness."

"All I'm thinking about is your and our people's safety and you know it."

"Toushiro _is_ one of your people!"

"You're blinded by your feelings. Rangiku, you know that sending anyone after that kid would end up causing war…"

"The challenge for the war has already been sent! Or have you forgotten the attack in the woods, father? Have you?"

The king sighed.

"You know well enough you can't throw yourself head first in something, without planning. And I'm afraid that until we have figured out what to do, your friend…"

"Will die." Matsumoto cut him off, pursing her lips into a tight line. "Right."

"I am sorry as I said earlier," he replied, intertwining his fingers on the desk in front of him. "But there's _nothing_ we can do for Hitsugaya Toushiro."

Matsumoto burst out of her father's room with her eyes throwing daggers at everybody who attempted to get in her way, even unintentionally. Her hands were clenched into tight fists and she could not calm her breathing as the anger washed over her in cold and hot waves. Five minutes later she found her friends gathered in the garden, waiting for the news. They were sitting around a large fountain, Ichigo and Rukia on a small bench next to each other, Kyouraku standing near an ornamental bush and Nanao sitting on the verge of the fountain, as far away from her suitor as possible.

"What happened?" Ise asked, standing up as she saw her friend approaching with a stiff, tensed gait and hands clenched into fists at her side. Matsumoto didn't answer immediately. She walked silently towards the fountain, then placed her hands on its edge and gazed at her own pale reflection as she tried to collect herself.

"He won't do anything about it." The words finally tore off her trembling lips as closed her eyes and let her mind sink in the endless abyss of her own helplessness "I should've known…"

"Rangiku…" Nanao began, her own austere attitude shattering to pieces like a broken mirror as she saw the expression of the princess' face. "There must be a way to persuade him that…"

"No." Matsumoto shook her head slowly. "My father is horribly one-track minded. He's anchored on the idea that Toushiro is not worth the risk and he will not be argued out of it."

For a couple of moments no one said anything, all of them lost in their own thoughts as they searched for a solution. Finally, Rukia shifted in her place, her eyes lightening up as she threw an ambiguous look at Ichigo's direction. The strawberry seemed to understand and nodded silently, a small smirk making its way on his face

"Maybe we don't need the king's help." Kuchiki interjected, raising a brow as she followed the other women's disconcerted expressions with a her determined eyes. "Apropos, it would be better, as a small group can always travel faster and hide easier."

Matsumoto stood up straight, her brows furrowed and her expression slightly boggled.

"What are you saying?"

"It's what I'm suggesting, actually." Rukia corrected, her lips curving into a furtive smile as she slowly placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. "If there's no one here to help us, then I'm guessing we'll have to do it ourselves."

"This is insane…" Nanao began but Matsumoto cut her off before she could finish, the determination in her voice almost startling.

"I'm in."

Rukia nodded thoughtfully.

"I thought so." She said, her eyes gliding calmly between the others "Anyone else game for this cloak-and-dagger plan?"

Ichigo just smirked, shrugging as he glanced at the girl next to him. Kyouraku chucked the brim of his hat and stepped forward:

"When are we leaving?"

Rukia looked at the princess, her brows raised with expectation.

"Tonight." Matsumoto said simply.

* * *

"You should give up. There's no way for you to escape from here." Akane pointed out, tilting her head to a side and letting a few black locks fall in her eyes as she watched Hitsugaya's moves. The boy didn't seem to mind her as he continued walking around his bed as much as the chain around his ankle allowed him, checking every single corner, crack and hole. His pale lips were pursed into a tight line and an obstinate expression had hardened his otherwise soft features.

Akane was sitting on a chair next to the opposite wall, her hands folded in front of her chest and her legs crossed. A hint of petulance was sparkling in her dark blue eyes as she tried to stay appeased to the angry rattle of the chain and the, in her opinion, foolish denial her captive was showing towards his predicament.

"I said…" she began again, louder this time but before she could finish, Hitsugaya had turned around to face her, his teal eyes shining dangerously.

"I heard what you said." He retorted and she could swear she felt a waft of winter air wash over her. He then turned around again and continued his pointless exploration of the room, his shoulders slumping almost inconspicuously. Akane raised a brow, uncrossing her legs and arms as she leaned forward a bit, a look of curiosity now taking place on her face. Her dark blue eyes followed his movements, her mouth curving into a small smile as she once again took a mental note that he was a rarely attractive toy. A nebulous feeling of annoyance crept into her stomach as she reminded herself the toy would never belong to her, but she chased away the thought as quickly as possible. For a minute or so there was silence, except for the chain's never-ending rattle, until she decided she was bored and tried again, aiming for his temper:

"In that case I am marveling your stupidity." She broached casually. "Without your zanpakuto or any other type of weapon, there's no way for you to get out of here."

"Oh, really?" he said, walking to his bed and sitting down with his face in her direction as he eyed her with a hint of haughtiness. "Then why are you still here?"

Akane opened her mouth to reply, but shut it up quickly as she realized there was nothing she could say. She had no time to get angry, however, as Hitsugaya got both of his bare feet on the bed and let out an annoyed sigh:

"I am not who you are looking for. You're wasting your time." He insisted, trying to prove his point as he looked intensely at the woman.

"You are the one who's wasting your own time, Ice-wielder. And mind this, you don't have much more left."

"This is ridiculous!" Hitsugaya snapped, his jaw clenching.

"You're upset. But that's an understanding."

"I'm not…"

"Don't try to deny it. I saw your expression when my sister told you the truth." Akane smiled to herself, swirling a black lock around her index finger and continued. "By the way, I saw pictures of your mother. You look a lot like her."

Hitsugaya just closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to chase away the fretting thoughts that flooded his mind. His long slender fingers twitched slightly on his knees before he clenched them into fists and inhaled deeply.

Akane clicked her tongue and stretched slowly before getting on her feet and walking gracefully to the window, very much aware of the fact that her captive's large jade eyes were following her.

"If I have to be really honest, I do not understand. Back there you were the captain of the royal guard and the princess' personal bodyguard, is that correct?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at the boy who hadn't moved from his place on the bed. She didn't really need any confirmation from his side as she already knew those facts from trustworthy sources but there was a certain pleasure in seeing the expression of one who could only guess how much more his captors new about him. Hitsugaya's face however didn't change the slightest bit as he merely nodded, disdain sparking deep into his jade orbs as he did so.

"And how did you feel about your job?" Akane continued, biting her lower lip for a second as she waited for his response.

"That's none of your business."

"Oh, but do tell me, I'm curious. Otherwise I cannot fathom your reasons for refusing our generous proposal." She turned around to face him and leaned against the wall next to the window. Hitsugaya's expression changed and instead of the cold, composed face, a bold, mocking one replaced it.

"How about you, then?" he asked, placing his elbow on his knee and resting his cheek in his palm. "How does it feel being the younger sister? The one who will never be anything more than a figure in the shadow? The one who will always do all the dirty work and watch as her sibling receives all the applauses, the congratulations and all the prestige? You must be really patient and generous. And very, _very_ obedient."

Akane's eyes widened and she felt the blood rush into her face.

"Shut your mouth, boy!" she yelled, her hands clenching into fists at her sides as she attempted to make her voice sound as threatening as possible. "You are in no condition to behave as though you…"

"If I'm a "boy" then you are a "girl" and I have no reasons to be afraid of a mere girl." He replied calmly, a soft laugh escaping his lips as he realized she had already lost her temper. In a split of a second, Akane was standing in front of him, her dagger against his neck. Hitsugaya didn't even flinch as he raised both brows and smirked at her flushed face and bared teeth.

"Oh, my. Did I just hit a nerve?" he asked, his eyes widening provocatively despite the innocent voice in which he asked the question. She pressed the tip of her weapon a little harder against his unprotected skin and a droplet of blood trickled down his neck. Again, he showed no real reaction and just raised his brows in a silent dare.

"I can kill you right here. Right now." She hissed, her face inches away from his as she bowed over the bedside.

"You know better, _girl_." He snapped. "If you truly believe I am the one you need, you will not do anything to harm me and you know it."

For a couple of seconds nobody moved. Then Akane withdrew her dagger and sheathed it, standing up straight as he trying to collect herself. Hitsugaya just watched her do so, a playful flame in the depths of his eyes being the only signs of his little triumph. She glared at him and silently made her way back to her chair and sat down, unmovable as a statue. She could still feel the anger seething inside her but it was already subduing, chased away by a new feeling – worry. She could not scare this person, she realized. He was no afraid of her, or pain, or death. He would not give up, he would not give in. As she watched him examine the chain around his ankle, she realized that her captive would not rest until he found a way out. Or died, trying.

Suddenly, Akane felt something she never thought she'd experience towards a person she hardly knew: respect.


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N: Woow... It seems like I have lost quite a number of readers, despite the fact there have never been too many when it comes to this story. Now, I'd really, REALLY appreciate if you reviewed! Because I do need some support considering this story, it's quite different from anything I've written so far and I some kind words would be more than appreciated! There's nothing, I repeat - NOTHING as inspiring as a through review. :) I really hope you like this chapter and if you do - TELL ME YOU DO! It will make me one happy person._**

* * *

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure." Matsumoto whispered and had wrapped her hands around her friend's body in a heartbeat. "I love him, Nanao-chan. I know that now. And I can't stop thinking what it could've been if I hadn't realized it when it was already too late."

"It's not too late." Ise whispered back, returning the embrace. For a few seconds they were both silent, holding each other, trying to imprison the feeling of warmth and care and engrave it into their mind as they were going to reach for the memory long after they parted.

It was past midnight and the whole castle was dark, empty and quiet, the occasional patrols being the only people walking around the place. Nevertheless, Nanao had managed to sneak out and go to her friend's room, knowing that they won't see each other for awhile. Matsumoto had dressed in dull civil clothes and covered them with a long cloak with a hood. She had took very few thing with her and jammed them into a handy backpack that she was currently wearing.

"I know that someone's got to stay behind but I'll miss you. And I'll be thinking about you." Nanao uttered softly in the princess' ear, before pulling back. "Come back with him."

Matsumoto nodded, her eyes glossed over as she forced a smile.

"I will. Don't worry about me. I have Ichigo, Kyouraku and Rukia with me. I'll be fine. And we'll get Toushiro back. No matter what."

Nanao sighed, removing a lose tress from her eyes and glanced out of the window.

"You have to go. They're probably waiting for you."

Matsumoto pulled the hood down over her head and most of her face and with one last goodbye left the room through a small secret passage behind her wardrobe.

* * *

"Sooo…" Hitsugaya drawled, staring curiously at the hot bathtub. "I get to wash, but I don't get to do it alone?"

A few feet away on a chair there sat Akane, her back facing him and her legs crossed. She sneered at the question and shook her head, tapping her knee with the dull side of the blade of the dagger she was holding.

"You should be grateful you are allowed to wash at all."

"It's not like I'm actually _leaving_ the room I'm locked in." Hitsugaya pointed out with a grunt as he glanced at the ajared door that gave a pretty good view to the bed he had been inhabiting the last couple of days. It had taken him all his methods of peeving and teasing to get Akane to let him bathe. Actually, he was pretty sure that it wasn't so much of a problem as she tried to make it look – it was obvious she didn't think he could escape – she just wanted to get back at him for rubbing her the wrong way. He shook his head, pushing the intruding thoughts from his mind. It didn't really matter how he earned this little relish – the most important thing was to now revel it for as long as he could.

He made a step forward and a small rattle drew his attention back to his leg. He rolled his eyes, recalling this little detail he was bound to endure. The chain around his ankle was now attached to an iron loop in the wall next to the tub, preventing him from an expanded radius of movement around the place. He decided not to give it much thought, figuring that even in this condition he was probably the most overindulged prisoner in the history of the world – he was even given a bar of soap, towel and something that smelled of very strong herbs (supposedly a shampoo) to get the dirt off of him.

Hitsugaya shifted his eyes to the temptingly steaming tub and his impatient fingers had already found the hems of his shirt, when he stopped, remembering something. He let his hands drop by his sides and glanced over his shoulder at Akane, arching a suspicious brow.

"No peeking."

He noticed her fingers twitch.

"I'm not the slightest bit tempted."

Hitsugaya smirked at the comment and pushed his shirt down his shoulders, letting the white material slide to the floor, pooling around his bare feet. The sound of the thin garment colliding with the cold tiles was almost imperceptible but it made Akane's ears perk up and her breath catch in her throat. Her frown deepened simultaneously with the tightening of her hold on her dagger as she tried to resist the sudden urge to sneak a glance over her shoulder.

"I can't undress my nether areas with this chain around my ankle." The boy noted, shaking his leg and producing rather jarring rattle to emphasize his words.

"Splendid observation. Just push the clothes down the chain so they won't get soaked. We'll deal with that later."

"Very practical." Hitsugaya stated humorlessly as he bent down to dip the tips of his slender fingers in the water to apprise its temperature. "But I'm not going to waste any more time on arguing. I have a looong bath to concentrate on."

"Fifteen minutes." Akane barked trenchantly, her lips pursing in a tight line as she pulled a well-worked off expression that she usually used to make the others cringe, despite the fact he could not see her face. A deep chuckle reverberated around the room, making her features twist with slight perplexity.

"Forty-five." Hitsugaya broached pointedly and the soft rustling of clothing reached the girl's ears yet again. "Unless you want to pull me out of here in all my naked glory."

Akane quenched the urge to turn around and throttle him, taking several deep breaths to calm her sizzling inner world. She then attempted to reason with him, using the most even-handed tone she could master at the moment:

"Your water will run cold."

Another chuckle.

"I don't mind cold."

"Thirty minutes."

"Thirty-five."

"Deal." She paused, fighting the slight flush that was climbing up her neck. "Are you still standing beside the tub without any clothes on?"

This time there was a full-hearted, uproarious laughter that smothered the sound of his body sinking into the tub. For a couple of seconds Akane could hear nothing but her own quickened breathing and the blood pulsing angrily in her ears, until finally a soft content sigh escaped Hitsugaya's lips.

"Wouldn't you like to know…" He teased lazily and her brow twitched convulsively.

The next twenty minutes were silent. Akane sat with her back turned to the boy, stubbornly unmovable, her hearing strained to the point of impossible as she tried to detect the slightest signs that Hitsugaya was trying to escape. He had, however, no such intention, at least not right now, and was fully enjoying his bath. She could hear him pour the water from a separate water tank with a basin on his head and then rub the shampoo in his now wet hair, the herbal fragrance oozing from its source and creeping slowly towards all four corners of the bathroom. Akane's nostrils fluttered, the scent making her even more uneasy.

"You seem comfortable enough with your captivity here…" she pointed out, trying in vain to distract herself from the images playing in her mind.

More water pouring.

"I don't have much choice, do I? The least I could do is enjoy the good sides of this while I figure out how to escape."

"Cocky much."

"Very. Will you miss it once I'm gone?"

"You won't escape. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"None, because it's absurd."

Akane gritted her teeth, attempting to keep the effects his unruly behavior had on her at bay.

"I _really_ don't understand you." She murmured, leaning her head back as she stared at the ceiling. "You're the worst captive I've ever had."

"How many have you had?"

"Enough. Mostly ones that land here for political reason." The edges of her lips curled up slightly in a cruel smile, eye-lids dropping. "And _do_ they squirm a lot…"

Hitsugaya sighed, pouring another dose of water on his head to remove the last remains of foam from his hair.

"And scream, and cry and beg, I am guessing?" he finished for her, his voice softer now. "Pretty sight. I'm acknowledged."

A loud chuckle escaped Akane's lips and she uncrossed her legs, now bending forward to place her elbows on her knees and prop her head on her palms.

"Oh, I forgot you were a captain."

"You didn't forget and I _am_ a captain. Present tense." He rebutted coldly.

"I still can't fathom how you managed to become something like that, little boy."

"I have the brains, the skills, the strength, and that's pretty much the whole trick." He paused, before adding with a bit of conceit. "Lose the condescending tone. I know you're impressed."

Akane goggled against the wall, jaw hanging open as she tried not to sputter at the realization that came belatedly at his bold words. _That boy_! How could he be so composed, unabashed, _rational_ and most of all – ANNOYING in his predicament! It was like he was made of all the pieces that contradicted with a respectable captive's behavior and at the same time devoid of all the needed tidbits such as fear, and confusion, and desperation...

_No_! He was certain and brave to stupidity in his denial of the reasons why he had landed here and he seemingly did not feel any apprehension that at some point, for some reason, they might decide they had had enough of his stubbornness.

She growled under her breath.

_Something_ was giving him strength to act this way and it was frustrating the hell out of Akane.

"You…" she began in a grave tone, her whole body stiffening as she sat up in her chair with her fists clenched and teeth bared.

Behind her back Hitsugaya leaned over the side of the tube and scanned the floor impassively, slender fingers straying up to remove a few damp locks from his teal eyes.

"Do you have any idea where my clean clothes are supposed to be?" he asked matter-of-factly and raised from the tube, water dripping from his now clean body as he reached for a tower from a chair that was left standing nearby. Akane swallowed her anger yet again, taking a few deep breaths to come back to her senses and gave him the needed instructions.

Pause.

"I can't dress." Hitsugaya said, shaking his chained leg once again to produce the reminding rattle. Akane's face grew hot with frustration and she sighed, standing up.

"You've covered yourself, right?"

"Maybe…"

"Don't move a muscle."

She turned slowly around, allowing her eyes to land on his tall, lean figure. He was standing beside the tube with a towel around his waist, one hand holding his clean clothes and the other one rubbing the side of his neck. His head was bowed ever so slightly and he was now gazing at her with his intense jade eyes from underneath a few dripping locks of white hair. His face was moist, hair plastered to it at some places, ruffled awkwardly at others, while his lashes looked heavier, thicker with the dampness still not dried off. There was slight sickening sallow on his skin that hadn't been there a couple of days before and even though the woman already knew why it was there, she could not care less right now. For a split second Akane's eyes drifted across his strong, perfectly-shaped body, his flawless pale flesh, dewed with lucent drops of water and his wide shoulders, so tempting to bury your face in. He was all muscle, all power and will in that young, seemingly inexperienced wrapper. She averted her eyes, intentionally fixing them on the boy's chained ankle for she was rather sure he had noticed her stare.

"Make one move I don't like, and I swear, I will make sure you can't leave the bed for a very long period of time." She threatened, walking towards him with her dagger pointed at his defenseless body, her other hand stretched towards him with a small key cuddling in her calloused palm. Hitsugaya raised a brow as he took the key and bent down to unlock the chain, the tip of the woman's weapon pressed between his shoulder-blades as he did so. The chain fell to the floor and he quickly began dressing, making sure nothing could be seen underneath his still wrapped towel. Once he was done with his nether areas, he stood up, towel being discarded carelessly as he slipped his hands in the sleeves of the new shirt.

Akane's brows arched as she inspected his pasty face.

"What's going on?" she asked, noticing that his movements were becoming slower and somewhat shaky. Hitsugaya lifted his eyes, body becoming still.

"I don't feel so good…" he uttered and before she could say anything, he collapsed in her arms.


	9. Chapter 9

"The process is faster than we thought."

"He possesses the most powerful ice and water zanpakuto and his bond with the dragon is thus quite strong. It's only natural…"

"Damn it, Shinju! Why are acting so calm towards this?"

"Why _aren't_ you? Let him see how serious things are. He is _not_ on vacation. He's a captive in a pretty bad predicament no matter how persistent he is in denying it. He'll either accept my generous offer or die from this damn stubbornness."

"And what happens when he dies, huh? What happens next? Like you don't know he's the only one left!"

Growl.

"What _is_ the matter, Akane? Please don't tell me the kid got to you."

"Don't be ridiculous, sister!" Huff. "I'm merely trying to warn you – the kid's too headstrong for his own good. It only took me _this_ long to understand it. He'd rather die than have you boss him around and if he _does_, then all your plan goes to hell along with him. Think about _that_."

Hitsugaya groaned softly as he shifted in his bed, the frown on his face gradually deepening as he began waking up. That attracted both of the women's attention, effectively quieting them down.

"What happened?" Toushiro uttered weakly and Akane gritted her teeth, casting her smirking sister a glare.

"I'll be leaving you two alone." The princess said with a dark smile before graciously making her way out of the room. With her sister out of the picture, Akane strode to the boy's bed and sat down next to him with a weary sigh.

"You fainted."

"I… _what_?" Hitsugaya's eyes shot open and he sat up abruptly only to groan loudly when his head began throbbing and spinning. Akane huffed with annoyance and placed her palm on his chest, pushing him back down gently.

"You're just a little bit too fond of self-destruction, kid." She informed him matter-of-factly, placing her hand on his forehead to take his temperature. Hitsugaya didn't protest and let her have it her way, his eyelids dropping shut as the weakness overrode his body.

"What's wrong with me?" he mumbled half-wryly. "I've never been sick in my life and now, in the worst moment possible…"

She shook her head to make him shut up.

"It's not your fault. Even if I did try to tell you like a thousand times." She enunciated dryly, brows shooting up wearily as she placed her hands on the bed behind her back and leaned on them. "Let's see how you brain works. Give me an animal with the letter "p"."

"Polite werewolf."

"Riiiighhttt…" she drawled, brow slowly arching as she took in his demure expression incredulously. "An animal with "c"."

"Crabby captor."

Akane's eye-lids fell half-way to cover her eyes as she noticed the small amused smile that twisted his lips.

"You're mocking me, aren't you?" she asked impassively. "Then your brain's working just fine. I don't know why I even bothered."

He chuckled, running his hand through his white hair lazily.

"Will you now quit changing the topic and tell me what's going on?" he asked, pushing his pillow up again so he could look at her from a more comfortable angle. "After what your sister told me the first day I arrived here, I don't think there'll be anything… that can surprise me quite as much."

Akane sighed and kicked her shoes off before pulling her legs on the bed and tucking them underneath her. Her face was serious and unabashed, yet thin cracks of an unfamiliar emotion were threatening to crush her perfect mask of composure.

"I'm sure you already know this, you just probably never gave it much thought." She began, her slender fingers drawing circles in the soft mattress beside her leg. "But you are, surely aware that within the territory of this kingdom, there more spiritual places than anywhere else. And the very soil on which this castle is built is one of the most powerful of them."

She paused, noticing that Hitsugaya's eyes were not directed at her. She let out an exasperated sigh and cleared her throat extra-loudly, hoping the action would to attract some attention. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to have any effect as the boy simply continued to ignore her with bluntness that almost made her smack him on the back of his head. Toushiro didn't notice the glare she was giving him, as his gaze was directed down at his fingers that were fumbling curiously with the hem of the thin blanket that was covering his legs.

"Kid, I'm really trying to explain something here." Akane snapped, her brow twitching with irritation. Hitsugaya chortled under his breath before looking up, his lips curling in a smirk that showed a line of perfect white teeth.

"_What?_" This sneer was beginning to particularly drive her up the wall.

"Were you the one to drag me here after I collapsed?"

"So what if it was me?" she snapped, folding her hands in front of her chest defensively. Hitsugaya's features softened a bit but he was still smirking as he lifted his knees and wrapped one arm around them loosely, his other hand still fiddling with the blanket's hem absently.

"I never heard of a captor who cover their captives with blankets."

Akane's face grew hot and she jumped on her feet, eyes wide and hand on the hilt of her dagger.

"What are you saying, _boy_?"

"Must there always be an inclining in what one says?"

"Don't play dumb with me!"

"You're right. I'm not very good at it anyway."

She almost felt the steam fuming from her ears as the bubbled up anger searched for ways to be released.

"Why, you little…"

"Did I make you angry?" Hitsugaya blinked innocently, eyes wide as they stared at her with mock regret. "I apologize. I'm terribly sorry."

_That's it!_

She was before him in a heartbeat, one hand balling his collar and the other one pressing the dagger to his throat. The demure expression dropped from his face instantly, replaced by a cold composed one as he returned her angry glare without flinching.

"Quite a déjà vu." He pointed out flatly. "You're just _so_ easy."

Akane had opened her mouth to snap back (and hopefully put him in his place), when she felt a hand at the back of her head, fingers clutching painfully the roots of her hair. Her eyes widened with surprise but she didn't even have time to gasp. It happened too fast even for her, depriving her from the chance to let the realization to sink in. Hitsugaya's right hand pulled sharply on her hair and in the particle of the second he had while she was overwhelmed by the shock from the unexpected pain, his left one found the woman's elbow, pushing it forcefully towards her chest and effectively removing the blade from his neck. At the same time he used his weight and his convenient position in comparison with her quite unstable one to flip them over and press his knee between her shoulder-blades.

"I hope this is not too painful for you. And I'm pretty serious here." He said, relaxing his pressure on her back enough to let her breathe. "I'm not usually violent towards women."

Akane's growl was too close to animalistic as she struggled to free herself but found it quite impossible with her right hand trapped uncomfortably under her body.

"I'm going to kill you the moment you let go!" she screamed and he quickly covered her mouth.

"You're hurting my eardrums." He informed her, reaching with his free hand to remove the dagger from her hold. "I'm sorry but I can't accept your sister's offer. I'm planning to control my own future."

She glared and her spiritual pressure exploded around her. Hitsugaya's breath hitched in his throat but his own reiatsu quickly wrapped around his body, protecting him from her hers.

"You don't have to explain anything to me." He said softly. "I knew from the very start, from the very first moment. I knew why I was feeling weaker and more tired with every passing day. But I guess I never realized how fast the process was till I lost consciousness. In ancient spiritual places like the one on which this castle was built, the connection between a shinigami and his zanpakuto is dozens of times stronger than in any other place in the world." He paused, shaking his head for no apparent reason. "That's why I'm getting sick. My separation from Hyourinmaru is physically affecting me. I can feel it in my stomach, in my head, in my heart, it's running in my blood… this lack… I'm virtually missing a part of my soul and it's destroying me. I have to get him back. I need him bad and I need _you_ to tell me where he is."

He waited for a few seconds to see if she was going to struggle, then removed his hand from her mouth.

"I'm not telling you a thing!" she spat the moment she was given the chance. Then a small, bitter laugh escaped her lips and she added with a hint of dare "I'm curious to see what you're going to do now, Mr. Prodigy."

Hitsugaya's brows shot up with a sort of amusement.

"Akane, you're not such as bad-ass girl as you're trying to prove yourself to be. I might've been trying to provoke you a minute ago, but it was true what I said. No captor covers their captive with a blanket."

She snarled again, renewing her attempts to get him off of her but no avail – he was unmovable as a rock. And he didn't seem to mind her fruitless struggles as he merely rolled his eyes, waiting patiently and silently until she got tired.

"You will regret this, Hitsugaya Toushiro!" she yelled, her hands clenching into fists. "You think I care about you? Was that what you were trying to prove? You'll see just how much I care when I break your fingers."

"There's one more thing." He cut her off carelessly, his impassive voice making her even angrier. "It seems like you were so worried for me that you unchained me, dragged me here and forgot to chain me back."

Akane's eyes widened, her mouth falling open as she realized he was right. Hitsugaya chuckled at her expression, then bent to the opposite side of the bed, his knee still pressed between her shoulder blades, and used the dagger to reach the chain that was lying on the floor.

Several seconds later he had clicked the chain shut around her ankle. In the meanwhile she had managed to pour all the profanities she could think of on him, along with a rich and very visual explanation of what sort of violence she was going to inflict on him when she got her hands on him. He took it all without a blink of an eye and when he was done, he proceeded to get off of her and off the bed. Of course, the moment she found herself free, Akane made a rather violent attempt to attack him, but he expected it and managed to deflect her perfectly mastered martial art techniques, while at the same time he slowly retreated, gradually increasing the distance between the two of them and the bed, until the length of her chain allowed her no further movement.

"I'm sorry." He said sincerely as he walked to the door, his eyes never leaving her. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't begin screaming the moment I got out of here, but then again, this is up to you."

"You're a fool. You won't get out of this castle."

"Tell me where Hyourinmaru is."

"You're insane."

He turned his attention to the lock and knelt in front of it. After a short contemplation, he nodded to himself and then closed his eyes, gathering the weakened bits of his broken reiatsu. He then leaned slightly forward and sighed against the keyhole. Akane's eyes widened as she saw ice gather about the place where Hitsugaya's breath had touched the metal surface.

"You're not supposed to summon your powers in this state!"

Hitsugaya opened his eyes and smiled weakly before shoving the dagger into the keyhole.

"See? You care."

"_I don't damn it!_"

He inhaled deeply, then pushed hard on the dagger. The lock yield and with a loud crash, the door flew open. Hitsugaya's face relaxed with relief and he peer in the corridor, only to find it empty and poorly-lit.

"You'll find guards in both ends of the corridor." Akane pointed out helpfully, as she placed her hands on her hips. "You can't escape, kid. I'm not bluffing."

Hitsugaya turned to face her and threw her dagger in her feet but still out of her reach, smirking wearily.

"Do I have a choice?" he asked and disappeared from her sight.

* * *

**_A/N: I personally don't like this chapter much. I imagined it in another way and now that I look at it, I feel a bit displeased with the result. Nevertheless, try not to flame me. I'm continuing this story for all of my loyal readers and loyal reviewers who had stuck with this till now (Yes, John, that goes for you, too...)_**

**_Anyhow, I've got some work to do, so review and take care. I'll try really hard to make the next chapter better!  
_**


	10. Chapter 10

**_A/N: This has been a very weird week. Every time I sat down to write, something happened and I couldn't concentrate at all. So this chapter is a bit of a filler... yeah... I hope you like it anyway._**

* * *

Matsumoto wasn't really sure whether this was worth laughing or crying about. The last two days or so had been particularly horrible, at least so much was true. Instead of well-built, plant-devoid roads, they had to draggle themselves through old, abandoned ones (sometimes literally dig their way through jungle-like forests) that were so roundabout that they practically doubled the time they needed to travel the whole distance. All that in order to remain unnoticed. It was because of her, really, her and her royal posterior, as Ichigo so eloquently put it, since the moment her father found out she was gone, there was going to be utter havoc. She could imagine the grand search he was probably already throwing, ferreting out information from every living creature he could put his hands on – starting poor Nanao, of course. The princess smiled to herself, blessing her friend's tenancy of will and nerve. Ise was going to be just fine, of that Matsumoto was positive. Now, as far as her royal posterior was concerned… positiveness fell with a couple of big, fat points.

The first little town they had found – _yes_, actual civilization! – was a peculiar and unfriendly place where apparently everybody suspected everybody of everything. Strangely enough, no one thought there was something not worth trusting in the tall strawberry-haired lady, clad in explicitly baggy clothes, with neatly tied up hair and a humongous hat (which was probably once bright orange but now resembled something between dusty brown and yellow). No, what those people found dubious and unnerving instead, was Kyouraku's laid-back, all-too-smiley attitude and unusually vivid choice of attire-color. He hadn't really done anything to deserve such treatment, or rather such glances, yet it was quite amusing how he managed to prove them right on the only night they were planning to spend in an actual bed with actual sheets in an actual inn. He went out in search for some provisions and somewhere along the way, he apparently succeeded in getting lost as he mistook a local peasant's house for their inn. The result was instant and the whole group landed in what seemed to be the local police station, Kyouraku charged of housebreaking (which was quite laughable, considering he had only made it through the fence and into the back yard). From the looks of it, the poor guy wasn't going to be able to leave for awhile and as the day stretched on it became obvious that until all the red tape was dealt with, there was no getting out of this place.

"Ichigo," The princess called. The four of them were crammed in a small plain room, the man who had raised the charges currently giving evidence in the room opposite of theirs. "I can't take it anymore. I need to go for a walk or else I'm going to lose my mind in this place!"

The carrot-top shrugged.

"They'll probably let you. It's Kyouraku they're pressing charges against."

All gazes then shifted to the man mentioned, three pairs of brows shooting up at the sight of the brunette, sprawled over the table and with his hat covering his face, soundly asleep.

"He won't miss my moral support, I suppose…" Matsumoto pointed out, her lips curving into a small amused grin as her eyes glided along the other two. "Any of you interested in coming?"

Rukia and Ichigo exchanged inquiring glances, then the boy jumped promptly on his feet, stretching gratefully, a few popping sounds accompanying the movement.

"Now that you mentioned it, I _could_ use just a little bit of…"

"Ichigo." Rukia's cold voice rang and he quickly slumped back in his place.

"I don't need to go anywhere, it's plenty of fun over here." He stated flatly, propping his elbow on his knee and resting his hand on his palm with a weary sigh. The black-haired girl chuckled darkly before standing up and gesturing the princess to follow her.

Their little promenade around the neighborhood didn't last too long. No more than fifteen minutes after they had gone out, a sudden shower of rain poured on their heads, forcing them to run like hell to the nearest building for shelter.

And that building happened to be the library.

Fortunately, the librarian turned out to be a very sweet, hospitable woman who immediately offered them to sit on the sofas in the center of the hall and asked them if they wanted some tea (something which they gladly accepted). They hadn't managed to get too wet but the experience was still unpleasant and it seemed like the rain wasn't about to stop any time soon.

"Well…" Rukia said, sighing wearily as she sipped from he cup of steaming tea. "Looks like we'll be stuck here for awhile, with the books, the tea and the kind lady over there." With that, she nodded towards the little desk near the front door where the old woman sat. Matsumoto followed her gaze thoughtfully, then a small smile spread on her lips and she stood up, placing her own cup down.

"How about we make use of the time and dig some history about this country? I've always been bad at remembering facts, a little reminder couldn't do any harm."

With that she rounded the sofa and disappeared between the sections, fingers tracing the backs of the books as she scanned them quickly. Rukia waited for a few more minutes, finishing her drink and then stood up with unhidden reluctance and set off on a grand search for the princess. She found Matsumoto somewhere in the back, sitting on the ground with a few books scattered messily around her. A thick old novel with rough yellowed pages was laying opened in her lap as her slightly narrowed eyes skim-read the content.

"Anything interesting?" the shorter girl drawled, plopping down next to Rangiku and peeking inside her read. The princess chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully for a few seconds before turning to her friend.

"Well, so far nothing out of the common knowledge. Like, this is the only matriarchal kingdom know to still exist… More women fighters than men, the woman is the greater authority in the family, these kinds of things… some facts about the spiritual places and the traditions. Like did you know that the members of the loyal family, the females in particularly, can perform certain rituals…" her voice trailed off as she started leafing through the pages backwards in search for something she had obviously read and forgotten.

"How is this helping?"

"I'm trying to figure out what they would want from Toushiro."

Rukia paused for a moment, chucking her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, maybe they just want him as a hostage."

"Yes, but why him of all people?"

"Because he's one of the best captains?"

"That is a ridiculous reason." Rangiku rebuffed, frowning as she stopped on some page and started gliding her finger down the rolls of letters. "You saw how my dad reacted to his captivity. Do you really believe they didn't know he'll respond in that way?"

Rukia shrugged and leaned back, her own brows furrowed in an intent scowl.

"Now that I think about it, they could try getting Nanao instead if that were the case. Less trouble, since she's a girl and she's a noblewoman, your best friend and definitely someone who would spark an interest about negotiating." The black-haired girl noticed before pulling her knees to her chest and resting her head on top of them. "Do you think they could've known about your relationship with him?"

"I doubt it. If they were so well-informed, they'd know we separated. And even on that condition my father would never do anything to get him back." Matsumoto mumbled with a bit of an exasperation tinting her voice. "Ah! There it is! See?"

Rukia shifted, letting go of her knees and leaning over the book again to see what the princess was trying to show her. They took a minute scanning the information carefully, then a low "hmm" sounded from the shorter girl's mouth.

"Ok, _that_, I didn't know." She pointed out, a trace of disgust creeping in her words as she pulled back and ran a hand through her slightly damp black locks. "It's a power-stealing ritual."

"It's not exactly _stealing,_ the person has to be willing to give their powers away." Matsumoto observed as she pointed to some line in the book. "And they can basically perform it only once in their lives and only with someone with royal blood. Hitsugaya has no noble blood in his veins, he's just.. well…" she made a funny noise, reaching to scratch the back of her neck. "Like a peasant."

Rukia's brow shot up at that statement humorlessly.

"So I'm a peasant, too?"

"No! I mean… Ok, forget I said anything." Matsumoto blushed furiously, sticking her nose back in the book. "As I said, it's a one-time ritual which was most probably invented in order to keep the country safe in times of crisis."

"I don't get it."

"I suppose the logic is that the monarch consumes twice as much power as a regular person, which means she's able to protect her people better."

"But why would anyone willingly give up their powers?"

Matsumoto paused for a moment, going through the text a bit more carefully this time.

"Oh, it's because the ritual is actually a part of a marriage ceremony." She said, snapping her fingers victoriously to emphasize on how clever she was for finding that out. "The royals who agree on this become kings, actually. They're never as important as their queen, but they get authority, power and money. It's probably quite a fair deal."

"If you say so." Rukia shrugged, slumping back a bit as she gazed up at the ceiling. "I don't think anything would make me give up my abilities…"

_Flashback:_

_Hitsugaya Toushiro hated balls. Especially masquerade ones, _especially_ them – because holding something like that always meant he had to change his usual captain uniform for some inane costume that matched the theme. This year it was even worse, because instead of being positioned somewhere outside, he was forced to spend the night in the hall to preserve the order and the well-being of the bunch of snobbish and 'very important' guests._

_**Dammit…**_

_He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, deliberately quenching the irritation that was gradually raising in his stomach as he leaned back against the wall, his eyes wandering about the hall indolently. It was beautifully arranged, really, even his prejudiced self couldn't deny that. The thousands of candles all around the place were scattering gentle, pulsating light, that was reflecting jovially in the crystal chandelier, the glass ornaments, the silver plates and the exquisite goblets. There were millions of flowers in every corner of the room, on every piece of furniture and on every window-sill, the mellow petals spreading subtle scent in the air. All the colors seemed somehow diluted tonight, smoother, the slow, gentle music playing at the background only adding to the feeling of quaint nocturnal tenderness._

"_Ahh, there you are! I was almost afraid you weren't going to show up!" a familiar voice cooed and Hitsugaya's eyes snapped up. The white-and-silver mask he was wearing on his face moved uncomfortably against his skin and he barely resisted the urge to tear it off and throw it on the floor, stamping on the accessory gratefully until it turned to dust. He was all clad in white and silver today – the colours of ice and snow, of winter – he didn't even know if the so-called 'costume' represented anything, he just couldn't pick anything else._

"_Your Highness?" he mumbled with respect. Then…"What the hell are you wearing!"_

_Matsumoto chuckled, bringing her feather fan in front of her face._

"_Oh, come on, this is very fashionable in the far West." She whined, spinning around so he could get a proper look of her dress. It was made of some sort of heavy pure white material, the long skirt tight in the waist area and flared around from that point on. The upper half was close-fitted around her body, the neckline square and not too low, but the shoulders slightly more bare than it was commonly allowed. The design was quite simple if truth, yet it underlined all of her natural endowments so perfectly that Hitsugaya couldn't help it but blush faintly under his mask, eyes widening slightly at the sight._

_Seeing this, Matsumoto's smile vanished and she dropped her hand with the fan by her side, putting the other one on her slim hips with a hint of challenge implied into the gesture._

"_What now? Are you going to lecture me, too?"_

_Hitsugaya's eyes snapped up and he hurried to push himself away from the wall, shaking his head as he stepped towards her._

"_No, who am I to tell you how to dress." He said, his lips twitching in a sort of a half-smile as he tilted his head to the side. Matsumoto's features softened and she caught her wrists together behind her back._

"_You are my friend and I want to know what you think. Honestly?"_

"_Honestly? Dammit, you are scandalously gorgeous." He shook his head again, barely stifling a chuckle as he leaned a bit and whispered in her ear conspiratorially. "All the women are staring at you."_

_Her lips twisted into a smug smile at that statement and she grabbed his hand suddenly, pulling on it harshly and towing him behind her before he could manage a protest._

"_What are you doing?" he asked, alerted. Matsumoto glanced at him over his shoulder and grinned, forcing him to the center of the hall with her._

"_Dance with me!" she sing-sang, grasping now both of his wrists and pulling him towards her. His eyes widened, lips parting slightly as his mind tried to process the newly arrived information. _

"_Your Highness…"_

"_If I'm going to shock them, I'd better shock them well, no? And besides, I'm Snow White tonight, it's only natural if you are my companion."_

"_I have work to do, and I can't dance, and I…"_

"_Toushiro," she cut him off again, pulling him even closer, her smile widening by a few teeth as she eyed him up and down. "There is another thing from the West that I want to try. I'm sure that you have heard of it. It's a dance, which people have stigmatized as indecent."_

_A spark of interest flamed in his aqua eyes and he nodded._

"_Waltz."_

"_Waltz." She smirked before glancing over her shoulder at the orchestra and giving them a sign. The music changed instantly, causing a wave of perturbation to cascade along the guests as Matsumoto's warble of a laughter filled the air and she grabbed on the slightly abashed captain's hands, pulling him into the dance._

"_You are crazy!" he hissed, his feet following hers awkwardly as he tried to catch on what she was doing. "Crazy _and_ suicidal_!_"_

"_And you used to be short and grumpy and now you're just tall and timid."_

"_I'm not _timid_. And I wasn't _short_!"_

"_Whatever. Loosen up! No one is going to know you, you are wearing a mask."_

"_How many people do you know with white hair?" he snapped, then rolled his eyes and straightened his back, taking control over the dance. "You so own me for this one."_

_She giggled childishly at the statement and delivered a playful swat with the fan on his forearm._

"_I'll make it up to you. Promise." She then glanced down at his feet, her brow raising wryly. "I though you said you couldn't dance?"_

_His grip around her tightened ever so slightly and he shrugged._

"_I learn quickly. And I'm still very bad at this." He replied, trying hard to ignore the hundreds of gazes that were burning his skin__ as he spun her around and guided her across the dance floor with the alertness of a soldier who was expecting the onslaught of enemy forces from behind every corner. Matsumoto resisted the urge to sneer at his disgruntled expression and let him lead her on, her hand on his shoulder giving him a small squeeze of encouragement. He didn't seem to notice, though, too absorbed in not embarrassing himself any further by stumbling or stepping on her feet._

"_You are so tense…" she drawled almost mockingly. He let of a small snort and pinched her waist furtively in some peculiar act of vengeance._

"_Do you have any idea in what sort of situation you just involved me in?" he almost groaned and she bit her lower lip, shaking with muffled laughter at the way his voice sounded so desperate._

"_If you hate this so much, let's get out of here." She then offered, gliding her index finger along the crook of his neck in a suggestive manner he didn't really understand. His brow shot up with confusion at that and he deliberately guided her to the part of the dance floor where there were far less people._

"_What do you have in mind?"_

"_Remember that trick you used to do before, when we wanted to steal muffins from the kitchen?"_

_He blinked, stopping dead on his track._

"_Now?" he asked, eyes widening incredulously. Matsumoto let her hands slide down his arms as a wicked smile twisted her mouth._

"_Why not?" she cooed. "I. Dare. You."_

_Hitsugaya's own pale lips curved in a lop-sided smirk and he pulled his mask up, gazing down at the princess intently._

"_You're on." He purred and at that moment a sudden and surprisingly strong gust of cold wind shook the ajared windows, throwing them open and springing into the room. In a single second all of the candles went out and the hall sank into darkness, a mix of startled cries, surprised yelps and nervous chuckles filling the air. Matsumoto's eyes didn't even manage to adjust as Hitsugaya's hand pulled her own one urgently in some unknown direction. She had to basically shove her knuckles in her mouth to keep herself from bursting into a hysterical laughter as she was guided blindly out of the hall and into the deserted garden._

_End of Flashback;_

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**A/N: In the next chapter we'll see what happens with Toushiro. :) Review till then and keep me happy!**  
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	11. Chapter 11

**_A/N: Well, this didn't turn out very long. I don't know why, but it was very hard to write, probably because I have such problem describing scenes that are suppose to be, hm, involving tension and action? I don't know. I hope you're not too disappointed. In the next chapter we're continuing with Hitsugaya, so review and be my muse because my muse has hid somewhere and refuses to come out. The bitch._**..

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Sasaki Akira had been working in the castle for many, many years now, hoping in vain that his efforts and loyalty would be appraised and when the time came he would become something more than just the gray servant, the purpose of whom was to never be seen or heard by his masters. His face was angular and plain – small eyes, thin lips, dry, paper-like skin - indiscernible by all means, and even the guards that he passed by each day could not tell anything particular about how he looked. He did his job strictly, with the accuracy and punctuality of a well-designed machine, the existence of which was never taken heed of. And that was that.

Posing a tray with food and water, he strolled down the corridor and up the staircase, his experienced feet recognizing and avoiding all obstacles that were the minor cracks, flaws and protuberances in the steps and the tiles. The purpose of his current labor he didn't really know – he was mildly informed about some prisoner that apparently needed to be fed with some of the best dishes that were cooked in the stronghold (his brain didn't really feel the urge to dig deeper – one of the purposes why he had been chosen to do what he did) and so at equal intervals every day he would climb the many, many dozens of steps up the tower, walk through a well-guarded door, round several corners and bring the meal to princess Akane. A bow was to follow and then he would go till the next time he had to fulfill the same cycle. Yes, Sasaki Akira was a very loyal, very undervalued servant that was going to continue doing his jobs in silent prays one day he'd be assigned to a higher rank. And till then, no complaint would dare leave his mouth.

He reached the guarded door at exactly the same time he did every day, and as always, the four guards stood divided I twos on either of the frame's sides. They looked so utterly browned off that they merely threw the 'squit' a sideward glance before unlocking for him to continue. Akira proceeded his small journey, subconsciously counting the seconds in his head as he rounded the first two corners peacefully, only to be seized by a surprisingly strong hand on the third one.

"W-wha-" he managed as he was pressed against the cold stone wall, the tray yanked from his hands so swiftly he didn't even have the time to feel it's absence. The first thought that crossed his mind was that his schedule was ruined; the second that there was something oddly familiar about the tall handsome man that was now covering his mouth with his palm. Sasaki blinked, bewildered as the smell of winter wrapped around him like a soft, peculiarly un-hostile blanket.

"Dammit." Hitsugaya hissed, eyeing the man up and down with annoyance. "You're _old_," That, Sasaki already knew. He had been swallowing the fact ever since he turned 40 two years ago.

"No matter." The white-haired stranger said, his mouth twisted with annoyance as he contemplated the circumstances in his mind. "Not much of a choice anyway. Take off your clothes."

The man was shocked, his eyes widening with panic as he shook his head slightly 'no'. Hitsugaya let out an exasperated sigh, his other hand finding the man's neck.

"I don't want to hurt you, but if you don't cooperate, I'll have to. Now take off your clothes."

Five minutes later Hitsugaya, already clad in Sasaki's attire, was thanking all deity the servant had a hat. Left with only his underwear, Akira was sitting quietly against the wall with the boy's white raiment laying snuggly in his lap and was trying to push his phlegmatic brain to figure out what this was all about.

"You're that prisoner?" the servant suddenly said, eyeing Toushiro with quite untypical curiosity. "But… You're so young."

"And you're so old." The captain flipped sarcastically as he struggled to jam as much as he could from his hair into the hat. "What's your point again?"

"You look so familiar…"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and knelt in front of the man, pulling the belt he was previously using to fasten his white attire to his slim waist and nodded towards the servant's wrists.

"Just one more thing before I go?" he asked, tilting his head to a side with a friendly smile adorning his pale lips. A minute later Sasaki was tied to one of the bars on the window, a piece of white sleeve stuffed in his mouth and Hitsugaya was walking away with the tray in his hands.

Toushiro's feet really hurt – because not only was that man old (which apparently could ruin his not-so-clever disguise in a trice) but he also had _tiny_ shoes. Walking around barefooted without attracting attention was impossible and you didn't have to be a genius to figure that much out – but _damn_, his crammed toes were screaming for space! He didn't even want to think about how he'd '_just_' have to bear it until he got out of the guard's sight because it pained him to imagine the minutes. At least it was going to be over soon for the gate was already in sight.

Keeping his head lowered so that the brim of the hat shadowed his eyes, he knocked on the door in the end of the hall. This was it. As far as he knew, most guards didn't really pay attention to the servants that passed them every day but it was still very risky. It wasn't hard to notice that a slightly taller, slimmer, younger version of the man who had entered was now coming out. But Hitsugaya didn't have a choice. And really – all that he needed was for them to open up – then he'd have the chances to at least fight back if it all went wrong.

A unfamiliar face peeked between the bars of the small rectangle hole on the top of the door and a frown furrowed the guard's brows. _Don't look up. Don't. Look. Up. _If anything, a pair of piercing eyes with such strong, intense color as his were hard not to notice so he resisted his natural urge to glance at the man and lowered his lids, hoping it would do. A small pause hung between them, cold and solid like a glass-wall. Then suddenly a soft click was heard and Hitsugaya's gaze snapped up. Luckily, the guard wasn't paying attention anymore, too busy pulling the door open to let 'Sasaki' through and as the deafening, hair-raising screech of wood grinding against the stone floor filled the air, the boy couldn't help the warm wave of relief that wash over him.

"Off you go." Came a bored drawl and a bulky hand gestured to him to leave. Silent as a fish, Hitsugaya scrambled to obey, reminding himself to be cautious and not to trip over nothing with his undersized footwear. Struggling to keep his pace normal and casual, he had just left the four guards a few steps behind him, when the voice of the one who opened the door for him caught up with him.

"Hey, you!" Hitsugaya froze, sweat instantly dewing his temples as he resisted the urge to just make a run for it. "What, the princess didn't like the meal?"

A quite inane group laughter filled the air as Hitsugaya glances down at his full tray with sincere bewilderment. _These guys must be really bored to laugh over this…_

"Turns out she's allergic to cinnamon." He had blurted out the fib before he could stop himself but the moment the words left his mouth, he wished he had just bitten his tongue and remained speechless according to the initial plan. The place fell deafeningly silent and Hitsugaya squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, cursing himself. He could practically _feel _the perplexity and bafflement seep through those men's pores as their small, doltish eyes bored into the back of his head. Then, just as he was beginning to plot his far more blatant escape, that voice echoed again, bouncing off the walls with such incredible blithe that the boy all but gawked.

"Well, whaddaya know? He can speak!" more crude, loud-mouthed guffaw followed and Hitsugaya awkwardly took part in the clamor. "You should do this more often! Such a young, pleasant voice… Reminds me of the good old times, ne?"

He couldn't believe he was having his conversation. His feet were killing him and all he wanted was to just get out of these men's sight and kick these tiny shoes off. _Right_ now.

"Eight cups of tea with lots of honey every day." Hitsugaya suggested stupidly. "You'll immediately feel the difference." And he hurried to leave before the exceptionally eager men had drawn him into another chat.

He had been held in a sort of a tower, he realized as he kicked his shoes off, hefted them in one hand just in case and continued to descend the seemingly endless staircase. The stone felt cold and unpleasant against his bare soles but it was better than having his feet crushed.

When the steps finally ended, he found himself in the middle of a long corridor. From this point on, he priority objective was finding where they kept Hyourinmaru and getting the sword back. Once that was accomplished, getting out would be a lot easier. The question was – where was the zanpakuto? If this place was as big as he imagined it, this could take ages. He needed to narrow the specter. A map of the castle would be helpful(not that he really hoped to find a large red "X" there to indicate where his soul piece was hidden…). The way he imagined his capturers' logic, they didn't guard him all that carefully because they knew that he had nowhere to go without Hyourinmaru, which of course, meant that wherever the dragon katana was held, it was probably well-defended.

Hitsugaya threw the tray in one of the niches along wall and looked around, exhaling slowly through his nose. His choices of directions were quite limited, really, and there was no one to tell him which option was better, so after a moment of exasperation, he turned right and soundlessly sprinted down the corridor.

It took Ikeda Hiro, the guard who had let Hitsugaya pass, about fifteen minutes to realize that the muffled sounds that came from the other side of the door were not the wind, whooshing through the rifts of the tower. After bringing up the matter to his comrades they reached gradually to the conclusion that they should probably investigate what was going on and carefully followed the noise. Their cautiousness was unreasonable, for all they stumbled upon was a half-naked, gagged man with a vaguely familiar face, the identification of whom proved to be a bit of a difficulty. After solving the riddle, three of the guards hurried to free Sasaki, while the fourth one scrambled off to find Akane and see if she was hurt.

"Who was the guy who went back with the tray?" Ikeda asked with suspicion as he pulled the piece of cloth from the servant's mouth. Sasaki shook his head indefinitely, earning a sigh of exasperation from the other man. "I knew there was something off about him speaking up! You're such a boring piece of nothing!"

"That guy was probably the prisoner. You don't have to be a genius to figure that much out." One of the other guards replied impassively. "We should inform princess Shinju and announce his escape. He could've gone anywhere by now. More troops should be sent off to find him."

"No." came a firm voice from the other end of the corridor as Akane approached with large steps the group. "No one is to know about Hitsugaya's escape. We must find him on our own."

"But Your Highness…"

"_No one_." She stressed, her intense gaze sliding from one face of another before landing on Ikeda's. "Especially my sister. Understood?"


End file.
